232 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
MAY 2 
cjicld %0{)!i. 
RUINED CLOVER FIELDS. 
It makes a farmer feel sick to look at his 
last, year’s weeding of young clover about 
t hose <lays. The alternate freezingarid thaw¬ 
ing has heaved the coots from the ground, 
and March and April winds have completed 
the work of dost ruction. Clover is injured 
quite as badly as wheat, and the damage is 
really as great. The loss of one wheat crop 
is the loss of considerable money next fall, 
with wheat as high as it is now likely to be, 
but a clover crop destroyed damages the 
farm rotation and spoils the plans of years. 
The uncertainty of clover is t he great obsta¬ 
cle to successful farming. First, it is hard 
to got a “catch,” and if we do about once 
in every three or four yean, if not oftener, 
there is a succession of alternate freezings 
and thawings which ruin the crop and blast 
the lmpes of the husbandman. 
What can be done ? If the clover sod is 
on * year old, nothing is lost. It is then in 
just the best condition to be plowed up for 
corn or potatoes. If it is a last year’s “catch,” 
still the piece hud better be plowed up, of 
course depending much on the amount of 
o'.her grass land for meadow and pasture, 
and t he damage that has been sullercd. 
Corn rarely or never suffers from grubs or 
worms if planted on a last year s wheat stub' 
hie. Farmers who are troubled by the cot 
worm, have learned this method of avoiding 
him. Still, I would not usually advise plow 
iug under a wheat stubble. If there has 
been a good catch of clover, it is so much 
better to wait another year, until the. roots 
have quadrupled in size and penetrated to 
the subsoil. 
We have learned some important facts 
about clover which may bo of help to He UAL 
NBW-VOUKTClt readers. First as to seeding, 
which is now in order Heed clover always, 
if possible, with winter wheat. How liber¬ 
ally not less than five or six quarts to an 
aero. If the land has not grown clover re¬ 
cently, a peek of seed per acre is better. 
This, with plaster, sown us clover is coining 
up, will almost always insure a good “catch. " 
H \ on have lo seed with spring grain, let it 
Ik*, spring wheat or barley, and plow, it pos¬ 
sible, in the fall, so as to get the benefit of 
winter’s frost on the surface-. Ii wintei 
plowing is not practicable, plow shallow in 
spring, so as to keep the ground that has 
been frozen all winter near the surface. A 
dressing of bone dust or superphosphate 
sown with the grain, either wheat or baricj, 
■\\ ill insure a good “catch” ol clover. 
Now about keeping your clover, which is 
(pule as important as getting it. I! your 
land has an eastern exposure or is sheltered 
from western winds, that is a great, advan¬ 
tage. But, this is a matter which farmers 
cannot much control. But every farmei 
should see. to it that the surface of the. ground 
is well protected, ft is the bare and espe¬ 
cially the moist places that heave worst. 
Hhoep feeding ■ >n clover in the fall, bite down 
to the root. They will often pull up clover 
mots when I lie ground is moist. On no ac¬ 
count feed clover late in fall, or have it eaten 
closely at any time. The best way is to 
leave the stubble where clover 13 sown un¬ 
pastured in fall. With a little plaster (gyp- 
smn) the young clover will make a good 
growth, which falls down over the roots in 
w inter. The loss in pasturage is very slight, 
II a farmer has coarsemanure or even straw, 
in the fall he can profitably use it as protec¬ 
tion for his young clover. But the better- 
way is to rely on the clover itself to grow its 
own winter covering, as it is sure to do in 
the natural way if not, pastured down. 
Western New York. 
_____ 
GRAFTING POTATOES. 
The idea of grafting potatoes for the pur¬ 
pose of uniting the good qualities of two dif¬ 
ferent varieties, was introduced to my notiee 
through the columns of the Rural New- 
Yorker about two years ago. 1 must con¬ 
fess 1 had but little faith, but concluded the 
best way to determine, the value of the idea 
w-as by actual test. T commenced by select¬ 
ing a specimen of the Early Rose and another 
ca lied t in* Cherry Blow, a potato of dark red 
color and but very little earlier than the 
Beach Blow. I removed the eyes from the 
Cherry Blow by cutting out a piece of oblong 
shape running to a point,. In these cavities 
J inserted the eyes of the Early Rose, cut out 
in the same shape, fitting them in nicely and 
binding them with bass strings. The first 
year I succeeded in saving but one tuber. 
The following spring I cut this one to single 
eyes, planted in good soil, gave ordinary cul¬ 
tivation, and about the first of September 
harvested nearly a peck of good sized pota¬ 
toes, possessing the characteristics of both 
the original varieties in this, that they were 
earlier t han the Cherry Blow and later t han 
the Early Rose, and color about a medium 
between the two. I think by selecting for 
seed ouch year those partaking of the nature 
of both varieties, I will have a potato supe- 
i-ior to the Peach Blow in one respect—it 
will bo earlier. J, R. Scott. 
---- 
HISTORY OF CLAWSON WHEAT. 
C. S. Johnston states that, the history of 
this wheat is substantially as follows : —“ Mr. 
Garret Ci.awson «f Seneca Co., N. Y., in 
company with his son, w-as crossing a wheat 
stubble on an adjoining farm to his own, and 
in picking up different heads of wheat they 
each found a head that for lengt h of head 
and quality of grain attracted their atten¬ 
tion. They were both white wheats. They 
sowed t hem in a corner together. The next 
year they picked t he wheat, separated the 
two varieties and rubbed it out by hand, and 
watched the growth very closely and found 
the growth of one of t he heads sown to be 
different from anything they hud ever seen 
growing, for stiffness of straw, length of 
head and whiteness of berry. Being so plump 
and large they concluded to try it again. 
They sowed the product of this one head 
(one pint) and at the next harvest they had 
;jy pounds. This they sowed, and the next 
harvest they cut 11 dozens of sheaves, which 
upon threshing yielded 13 bushels of cleaned 
wheat.. This was sown, and the product 
was 130 dozen sheaves, yielding 150 bushels. 
The next year he had 254 bushels of clean 
wheat. Mr. Garret B. Clawson obtained 
four bushels of this wheat- in 1870, which lie 
sowed on barley stubble which had been 
planted with corn the year previous. He 
sowed the four bushels on one a-re aud 130 
rods of ground, lie harvested tJ'Jhj bushels 
by measure, weighing 62 pounds to the bush¬ 
el. This wheat, took the first premium at 
the Seneca County Fair in 1871, an account 
of which may be. found in the report ol the 
Secretary of the Heneea County Agricultural 
Society to the Heerotary of the New York 
State Agricultural Society for the year 1871. 
This variety of wheat also took the first pre¬ 
mium at the winter meeting of the Seneca 
Gounty Agricultural Society in 1872; also in 
the Western New York Fair at Rochester in 
1873. 
---« --- 
DETERMINING THE VITALITY OF 
SEED CORN. 
A correspondent of the Western Farmer 
says :— 41 On the upper side of the kernel, or 
the side next to t he tip of the ear, is a cove 
or Mentation. At the bottom of this cove 
lies the germ, and very near the surface, 
being covered with little else than the tldn 
hull of the kernel. If the. seed possesses vi¬ 
tality, this germ will be plainly visible in the 
form of a narrow, rounded cord or stripe, 
running from the head of the cove towards 
the point of the kernel, and usually of a 
darker color than the general surface of the 
cove. It is not. necessary t hat the germ 
should form a ridge through the bottom of 
the cove. Its appearance is more as If em¬ 
bedded in the kernel and slightly covered 
with a semi-transparent surface. If the 
enamel of the cove is bright and smooth and 
this line visible, we may be sure the seed 
will germinate. If the surface of the cove 
is dull and wrinkled and no line visible, it 
w ill be useless to test it in earth. Let any 
one uot Accustomed to observe theso indica¬ 
tions, take « bright, sound enr and a decided¬ 
ly unripe one, break them in the middle, aud 
look at the kernels in the break on the stem 
halves aud he will at once see the difference. 
By this rule I have selected seed from the 
crib from amidst much that was unsound, 
and with unfailing success. Many doubtless 
understand all this ; but it may be w-ell to 
repeat it at tins time.” 
-- 
HUNGARIAN GRASS. 
on plain land, by applying 5<M) pounds of 
Peruvian guano harrowed in before the seed 
was sown. It is good w-hen one wishes to 
add to the mow a few tons of hay more thou 
their land in grass will yield. Glover can be 
raised on light soils cheaper, but it cannot 
be raised as if l>y magic in a few weeks, I 
think it better than com stover.” 
--- 
EXPERIMENTS WITH SEEDLING 
POTATOES. 
In 1870 T planted some balls from the 
Peacliblow- potato, from which I have raised 
some very excellent kinds. One. of the hills 
blossomed the first year and bore balls. 1 
planted them the next spring, and had seven 
different variet ies ; one kind is very- early. 1 
planted them by the side of the Early Rose 
and they ripened two weeks before it. They 
are a smooth potato of good size and excel¬ 
lent flavor. 1 have one variety, a seedling 
from the Peacliblow. which tea great yichlcr. 
I raised 50 bushels from one peck. 1 have 
got about 00 different varieties, which 1 in¬ 
tend to plant this spring. 
Chautauqua 0 >., N. Y, I. InOuupon. 
.- -*■■*-+- - 
FIELD NOTES.! 
Spanish or Japan Clover. — A Southern 
paper speaks highly of this clover. \V e shall 
be glad to know from our Southern readers 
whether what the Mobile Register says of it 
accords with their experience. It says : 
“This plant, sonn-times called Spanish clo¬ 
ver, is one of the greatest boons that has yet 
fallen upon the South. Japan cloven- is a 
heavy grower, and will shade out almost any 
grass or other species of growth. It is an 
air feeder, and therefore does well on almost 
any ehuraeLer of soil, though a rich clay sod 
suits it. best,. The rapidity with which it 
Spreads is perfectly astonishing, the more 
since its seeds arc not, winged, therefore can 
give us no idea of liow they obtain their quick 
transit from place to place.” 
Soul hern Sired Potato.— We have received 
specimens of till* potato from J no. R. Guil¬ 
ders, Auburn, Ky-., who writes:—“It was 
introduced here last season and claimed to be 
earlier, sweeter, and more, productive than 
any other sort, aud that it kept about as 
well as the Irish potato. It has come up to 
the representation ; the past, season being 
the test, it is a decided acquisition.” 
he; g^dsmiut. 
FEEDING GROUND FEED TO COWS. 
Harris Lewis of Herkimer Co., N. Y., is 
reported as saying recently Thirty years 
ago, during my first five years as a dairyman, 
1 fed ground feed. I fed all I dared to, of 
different kinds of grain. I secured best re¬ 
sults with buckwheat, taking out the best of 
the flour. There was an increased flow of 
milk but there was a loss of flesh. The milk 
was at t he expense of the live weight of the 
animal. 1 tried corn meal, feeding as high as 
four quarts. I kept account of the results 
and concluded that i received little benefit. 
1 never could perceive any increase in quality 
or quantity of milk. I next tried ground 
oats, and 1 eati say that, if I waste feed any 
ground grain I should feed oats. It increased 
t he flow of milk and improved the condition 
of the cow. Bariev is better than meat. 1 
have tried wheat shorts. It. is an excellent 
food. If oats cost no more I would feed oats, 
but wheat shorts are better in the phos¬ 
phates, and on certain kinds of Land this 
quality is important. When I fed grain I 
never received more than eight, cents for 
cheese, the grain was also proportionately 
cheap. After these experiments I concluded 
that there was no kind of grain that Would 
increase the quantity or improve the quality 
of milk, provided the cows had all the good 
grass they could eat. I believe that we can 
feed grass cheaper than grain in this region. 
L. A. Whitney, in New England Home¬ 
stead, says “ it wants rich soil; it should 
not be sown before the first, of June ; it. may¬ 
be sown as late as the 20th. One bushel of 
seed is none too much to smother weeds and 
make fine hay ; It should be cut before all is 
in bloom ; cut. when the dew is off and tend 
well and rick it, as any wetting hurts it much 
more than any other hay. it is not hard to 
cure, hut if heavy needs two days’ sun. Mow 
and feed as other liay, and for milch cows or 
horses, it is as good as the best. If cut late 
it is hard fodder ; if sowed thin it is coarse 
odder. X have raised two tons to the acre, 
CONTINUE FEEDING. 
This is the much-dreaded time among 
stock growers, “between hay and grass,” 
w-hen it is harder to keep cattle in condition 
than at any other season of the year. I pro¬ 
pose to remedy this evil by feeding corn 
uieal liberally to my cattle, especially milch 
cow-s, for some time after they are turned to 
pasture. Young grass is thin, watery feed 
at the best, and cows that have to yield a 
mesa of milk twice a day will not thrive on 
it alone. If they lose now they will not re¬ 
gain the full flow during the season. 
Really, I think we -hould all find it profit¬ 
able, where land is valuable and high-priced, 
to continue feeding grain or extra feed of 
some kiud all summer. More and more 
farmers every year practice soiling, keeping 
their cattle and horses up all summer and 
cutting feed for them. This may not be ad¬ 
visable for all, but any farmer can make an 
experiment w ith little cost, giving each head 
of stock in pasture say one quart of coni 
meal morning aud night, or giving two 
quarts at noon. As the season advances, 
particularly if the cows tend to fatten, this 
may be changed to a "slop” at each milk¬ 
ing time of wheat bran or mill feed. This is 
more naturally the milk-producing food, as 
corn meal is productive of fat. Bran is es¬ 
pecially rich iu phosphates, and corn meal 
in nitrogen. Feeding liberally of either to 
cattle in pasture will really leave the land 
richer, which pasturing rarely does. 
Every-one knows that animals fatten more 
readily before cold weather comes on. And 
yet most high feeding is done in winter, and 
cattle are turned off just at the time that 
they nan be fed to most advantage. Many 
animals are fattened on grass alone, but no 
one could think of fattening on hay n lone. 
A little grain judiciously fed during May, 
June, July, August and September will pay 
bet ter than the much larger quantities fed 
out in the late fall and early winter mont hs. 
Western New York. 
--♦♦♦-- 
ABORTION IN COWS. 
Answering an inquiry, a correspondent of 
the Massachusetts Ploughman says:—“Ev¬ 
ery cow should go two hundred and seventy 
days after conception (properly), but by ac¬ 
cident the time is often shortened, and as a 
result the cow-is worthless during the sea¬ 
son succeeding the abortion. The inquirer 
speaks in particular of the Dutch cows. 1 
have had n little experience in that kind of 
stock, (just as much as any one needs to try 
their worth; they are worthless to me.) and 
1 find that they cannot stand the hardship 
like many other breeds of cattle. The gen¬ 
tleman, in speaking of his feeding his stock, 
must omit giving his Dutch cows anything 
like shorts or cotton seed, or oil of any kind, 
and but few turnips or potatoes, until after 
they drop their calves; (this is my experi¬ 
ence; give them good hay and Indian meal 
il any kind of grain is given.) I find that in 
many barns cat tle have to ascend stops on 
an angle of forty-five degrees to get into the 
bam; t hoy often require a great, deal of care 
and patience. At the time when you desire 
your cows to conceive again, it is well in 
such cases to dispense with all kinds of feed 
that have, a loosening tendency for six weeks 
at least, especially for tiie Dutch cows, 
-♦♦♦•- 
NOTES FOR HERDSMEN. 
Grubs in a Con 's Hark.—I write to you to 
ask what is the eauro of grubs iu a cow’s 
back. A short time since I took from one of 
my cows at least 25 of these worms, gome 
large, some small. This cow is very poor, 
although she has extra feed and plenty of 
salt: her appetite is ra\ ouous, eating every¬ 
thing mu. before her; and It Is the same w ith 
drink—she drinks daily a large quantity of 
water.—J ohn Jmobs. 
These grubs are the larva- of a gad-fly. Dr, 
boris, which hasutilng tlieoow. These grubs, 
unless destroyed, w ill become insects. They 
should be squeezed out. and destroyed. Ii is 
the only way v,e know of to get rid of them. 
The sooner it is done the better. 
Thoroughbred Stork in Texas .—Dealers in 
Wooded stock have a hard time introducing 
the same into Texas. A Kentucky herds¬ 
man writes: -“We could not succeed in sell¬ 
ing our stock to any extent until we had 
nursed the m through the ‘acclimation fever,’ 
as it is called, losing six very valuable ani¬ 
mals thereby. That Texas will ever become 
a lucrative market to the importer of thor¬ 
oughbred cattle is very doubtful, aw it is 
very difficult to induce the Texan to pur¬ 
chase before your stock have undergo.te the 
* fcvei ’ mentioned; and alter that there is 
not much to sell.” 
Relieving Cattle Fed Too Much Grain.—A 
correspondent of the Farmers’ Union says: 
I have treated a good many animals for 
over-eating, aud 1 always give them about a 
quart or three pints of melted lard ; it can 
easily be given them by using along-necked, 
stout glass bottle. Give no water at, all for 
tlip first eight or ten hours, and then spar¬ 
ingly.,- If treated as above no harm will 
result^"com the worst eases of over-eatiug. 
Let the animal have moderate exercise, but 
not enough to get sweaty. 
Scours in Animals.— Harris Lewis says 
he has found extract of rennet, an excellent 
remedy for Scours. it -LouId be given in 
gradually increasing doses. He believes 
them to be caused by indigestion, and that 
feeding rein et increases the digestive ability 
of Lire animal. Mr. Bonfoy gives white lye, 
with a little ginger, to warm up the stomach. 
