MOOSE'S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
•JUNE 6 
362 
“COW PEAS FOR PLOWING UNDER.” 
Fritz R., Dundee, O., in your issue of May 
10, asks tiie difference between cow peas and 
clover as a fertilizer, the price, expense of 
raising, &c., which I propose to answer. 
Whatever may be the difference at the 
North, (and it cannot vary materially,) the 
difference here is certainly considerable. 1 
regard it as at least two to one in favor of the 
cow pea, and as even the accomplished edi¬ 
tor of the Rural disclaims acquaintance 
with the cow pea, I conceive a general de¬ 
scription of the plant may not be unwel¬ 
come. They are of various colors—the black 
eyed being regarded as tin* best hue. J’od is 
long, and, together with foliage, is not un¬ 
like the pole beau of the Northern gardens. 
It may be planted or sown in early spring or 
date summer, the former generally drilled in 
for food, forage and need; t he latter broad¬ 
cast, after oats or English grains, to he* 
turned under for fertilizing. Two full crops 
are easily grown during the season in this 
latitude. Stbek cat ravenously of the vines 
and pea, and this fact, is a temptation which 
many of our farmers cannot resist., and the 
consequence is that the greater part of those 
sown to be turned under for the enrichment 
of the soil are gathered into t he barn for for¬ 
age, leaving but the stubble to be plowed in: 
and, strange as it. may appear, even this is 
believed to add to the fertility of the soil. 
The pea grows luxuriantly in almost any 
soil—good, bad or indifferent, so it be not 
water-logged, a rid in fair soil, whether sown 
in drills or broadcast, will speedily cover tin' 
entire ground with a solid mass of foliage. 
When 1 first sowed the cow pea for a ferti¬ 
lizer I was informed by the. natives (for be it 
known unto you, oh editors, lam an “ p/us 
carpet-bagger ” from the Hudson) that the 
great objection to the pea for this purpose 
was the impossibility of turning the vines un¬ 
der with any plow or Instrument made; but I 
put a quietus to that, theory with a Collins- 
cast steel plow, by t urning tinder the vines 
so completely that without a close inspec¬ 
tion no one could tell what had been upon 
the land. 
The market value of the black-eye ranges 
from 81 to 81.75, according to time of year. 
They are now very scarce, and demand for 
planting considerable, consequently they are 
high. They are planted in drills, about 1 1 , 
bushels to the acre for the crop; and broad¬ 
cast, two bushels to the acre for fertilizing. 
Let “FlUTZ” try a bushel ol' the “fertil¬ 
izer,” and if he ever substitutes clover t here¬ 
after I hope to know the reason why. To 
make my statement creditable 1 will state 
that 1 do not sell cow peas, but find them 
more valuable for feed and replanting and 
sowing. Any commission merchant here 
will doubtless furnish him the pea, if or¬ 
dered, at market prices. 
Our season is very late; cotton planters— 
myself among the number—badly demoral¬ 
ized, cotton seed having rotted in the ground 
at first planting and been drowned out at 
second; but we hope to win in the end, 
A. W. Shaffer. 
Holly Farm, near Raleigh, N. <’., May 17. 
■- +++ - 
POTATO CULTURE. 
J, V. II. Soovxlle read a paper before the 
Central New York Fanners’ Club, May 1ft, 
on the above subject, from which we make 
the following interesting extr acts: 
“ I shall confine my remarks almost en¬ 
tirely to the cultivation of the potato, as one 
of the most important staple products we 
raise, and w hen, as during the past season in 
this country, the crop fell short of the usual 
yield by about 17,000,000 bushels, may it not 
behove us to study with some care the best 
method of seeding and cultivation ? The 
first crop I usually raise on the inverted sod 
of my pastures and meadows is potatoes, 
my location not being suited to the success¬ 
ful raising of corn. The meadows are en¬ 
riched by a previous manuring, usually by 
fine stable manure, drawn directly from the 
stable, in the winter, and spread broadcast 
upon the fields, though the ground may be 
covered with snow. I usually plow about 
eight inches in depth. Never more than two 
crops of potatoes are taken from the same 
field, when a grain crop and seeding follow; 
but when plowing for the second crop of po¬ 
tatoes, the plow should be put down a little 
deeper than it was the first time. For the 
fitting of green sward for planting, I have 
never found anything so effectual as Nish- 
witz harrow or pulverizer, for the rapidity 
with which its work is done, and its use is 
becoming more general for the covering ©f 
grain instead of the old-fashionedjiarrow. 
These pulverizers give a lifting motion to 
the soil by means of the disc (a wheel of thin 
iron about ten inches in diameter), which re¬ 
volves on an nrJe and runs on an angle which 
may be varied al. pleasure. With tills imple¬ 
ment it is better to go diagonally of lie* fur¬ 
rows. The finishing may be done with the 
fine harrow. The rows may lie furrowed 
out with a light plow, but a horse marker, 
which will mark out four rows at a time, 
will answer every purpose, and 1 think it an 
advantage that the person cove ling them 
should press his foot upon the potato before 
covering it with dirt, 1 am not prepared to 
-ay that deeper planting might not bo an 
advantage, but surface planting renders the 
labor of digging much Jess laborious, which 
is a matter of considerable importance when 
the digging must be done by hand. 1 think 
it better to mark out the ground both ways, 
and J prefer to have ray rows three feet by 
two feet nine inches, which gives upon an 
acre 5,380 bills. When 1 have occasion to 
plant upon ft side hill, 1 mark out the ground 
only out* way, rows three feet apart, length¬ 
wise of the hill, not up and down, and pay 
no particular* attention to distance of the 
hills apart, and cultivate them only one 
way. This prevents the dirt from washing 
down the hill in heavy showers. But I pre¬ 
fer ground which will admit of wor king out 
both ways, and as soon as the rows can be 
seen, run the cultivator through them. 
With the second hoeing pulverize the ground 
thoroughly, aud run a htiler between the 
rows, and finish with the hoe. I append the 
results of some experiments instituted to de¬ 
termine the best method of preparing seed 
for planting. The variety experimented 
with was the Oneida Peach Blow, a seedling 
of the garuet Chili, originating in this imme¬ 
diate locality. 
The Chili has long been raised in this sec¬ 
tion, arrd still continues to be the main de¬ 
pendence for general use and local market¬ 
ing. But I refer to the Oneida Peach Blow 
because I think they are superior to the 
Chili as a table potato, a better looking po¬ 
tato, and more prolific in yield. 
SEASON OF 18713. 
j'C^ 
Product. 
1 s 
Seed us 
Bush, ol 
pounds. 
i • 
& 
Cl 
1 ^ 
[ 5 
a 
1 w 
£ 
0 
h 
No. t. One eye to n piece nnd. 
I only 
one piece in u. hill. 
No. 2. One eye to u piece unit 
136J4 
3 or 1 
pot’s 
lotl 1 '* 
t wo pieces i" n bill.... 
No. :s. Two eyes to a piece 
6 
isa 
7 
196 
and one piece In a bill. 
No. L Two eyes to a niece 
and (wo pieces (n a bill. 
No.fi. Three eyes to a piece 
! 0 
'ms 
to 
201X 
[267 
10 
27* 
ami one piece In n lull. 
No. (J. Three eyes to n piece 
8 1-5 
,214 
7 
221 
and live pieees In a hill. 
No. 7. Four eve to n piece 
15 Mi 259# 
14 
and one piece In a hill. 
No S. Four eyes lo a nicer 
mill two pieces in a hill.. 
No. ‘A Five eyes to a piece 
11 1-5 232k 
14 % 
.{47 
121 t-6 
j 295 
17JJ 
312X 
nml one piece iti n hill 
14 
258 S 
305X 
10 u; 
275 
No, 1(1, Ono III rite petal i . 
No II. Olio Junto point," cut 
13 X 
43K 
m 
ill two, one piece ill n hill.. 
21 t-G 
203 
0 
283 
No. If. One medium potato.. 
No. i;i. one medium potato 
28.1 
18 4-5 
317 4 5 
divided, two pieces in uhilL 
Nn, 11 One medium pouit.o. 
27 
500 
- 27 
327 
four pieces in a hill. 
No. IV One medium potato 
cut In two, one piece in ft 
28 t-5 
'209 
33 
,1112 
bill. 
l&ff 
202 
12 
274 
No, It). Seed eud .... 
KIM 
259 R 
10 
209H 
No. 17. Stem eud. 
71 l-G 289 
20 
SKI 
N'e. IS. fine small potrto. 
No. Ill, One Kiunll potato ill- 
li oj$ 205}< 
23 
273 1 
vldod. two pieees 111 il hill.. 
No. :.*i). One small potato di¬ 
vided, one piece in all 111. . 
No. 21. One medium potato 
11 5-0 
272X 
IGX 
2fL 
ox 
230lb 
8 1-5 
23f(’ > 
cnl to single eyes.... . 
No. 22. One good 81 Bed pota¬ 
to. eyes dun out (80 hills 
30)4 
202; 
70X 
332X 
missing). . 
No. 23. One good sized pota¬ 
to, eyes dug out, Carnet 
33 
134 
16X 
I50.X 
(Tuli, (22 hills n issing,.. • • 
No. 21. (is hills planted with 
35 
155K 
10X 
1G6 
the parlous of sinj.de potato. 
No.2/1, ill hills,Gurnet chili, 
planted with t he oaring* m 
single potato. These hills 1 
w erethrougllo ill tlio season 
Inter mill less vigorous in 
their growth..... 
No. vd, 71 lolls were planted 
out of the 7ti potatoes,! 
thickly pared us noted 
above, and of these ten 
lulls grew, hut were later 
in coming up. and the crop 
was fil potatoes, weighing 
li pounds. j 
195 
37% 
23?X 
17IX 
40 
21IX 
Except as noted above, one row of each 
kind was planted, containing seventy-five 
bills, and the result figured out as if by the 
acre. 
The cuttings of the first nine rows were 
rolled in planter, and in the remaining rows, 
with the exception of No. 10, about a table¬ 
spoonful of plaster was thrown upon the po¬ 
tato in the hill previous to covering. The 
culture was ordinary field culture. 
At harvest time, “No. 1,” planted with 
one eye to a piece, several hills had only one 
good-sized potato, several with only two, aud 
very few with three in a 1-ill, aud in this row 
there were only three or four small potatoes. 
The difference in yield, as presented in Nos. 1 
and 3, between one and two single eyes in a 
hill, is sixty bushel?. 
The same comparison between Nos. 3 and 
4, having two eyes to a piece, and one or two 
piece*; in a hil], shows a difference, in favor of 
the latter of 71 1 bushels. As between NoS. 
5 and (’>, having throe eyes to a piece, and 
one arid two pieces in a hill, the difference 
in fa vor of the stronger seeding is 53% bush 
els. The same difference is as strongly 
marked in Nos. 7 and 8, with four eyes to a 
piece, iu favor of No. 8 by bushels ; 
while between this and No. 0, with only one 
piece in a hill, is a falling off of 537% bushels. 
Concerning No. 9, I would here remark that 
care was taken that no piece should be 
planted having more than five eyes, and 
from my memorandum at the time of plant¬ 
ing I find this note :—“ Requiring much care 
in cutting, and but few of the seed ends left 
in.” 
The largest yield was that of No. 10, and, 
if 1 remember rightly, no plaster was put in 
these hills, yield 3fit bushels requiring 43% 
bushels as amount of seed used, and present¬ 
ing a strong contrast between NoS. JO and 11, 
of potatoes equal in size except that the lat¬ 
ter were cut in two lengthwise and yielded 
(JO bushels less per acre. Again, a difference, 
in simply cutting seed Ls shown between 
Nos. IS and 13, in an increased yield of SO 
bushels in No, 13, wit h only an increase of 
1 % bushels of seed, while too much cutting, 
as in No. 14, shows a diminished yield as 
coin pared with No, 13. The second largest 
yield, No. 31, one medium potato cut to 
single eyes, shows an undue proportion of 
small potatoes, 70% bushels. 
This was doubtless owing to the fact that 
each eye. grew independently, and in many 
of the lulls there were 18 or 30 different 
stalks. Again, the difference in favor of 
stronger seeding is plainly marked in Nos. 19 
and 20, with small undeveloped tubers cut in 
two and planted one and two pieces in a hill, 
iu favor of (he latter by 50 1-3 bushels. Is 
the seed end better than the stem end for 
plant ing < If a potato is planted whole, the 
eyes on the seed end are those mainly which 
send forth shoots, the larger proportion re¬ 
maining dormant; but cut t Ho potato and 
t hose eyes in the uncut tuber which do not 
germinate send forth shoots and ure equally 
healthy and prolific. In a comparison of 
Nos. 10 and 17, which were the same pota¬ 
toes, except that the seed and stem ends 
were planted in rows by themselves, the 
latter showing nearly double the weight of 
seed, and affording an increased yield of 39% 
bushels. 
Concerning Nos. 21 and 33, of the seventy- 
live hills of each row planted a large pro¬ 
portion of missing Hills is shown. The meth¬ 
od adopted with each potato was to scoop 
out with a sliarp-pointed knife ev ery eye or 
indication of an eye which could be seen 
without the aid of a magnify mg glass. Asa 
general rule, t hese potatoes came up slowly, 
some not making their appearance till the 
latter part of July, and considering t he dis¬ 
advantages under which they grew and the 
number of missing bills, the average yield is 
quite large. 1 do not. pretend 1o affirm that 
this system of treatment is favorable to a 
prolific yield, but one of these hills contained 
S3 potatoes, large and small, and 1 lie largest 
one would weigh nearly I q pounds. 
In scasous of great scarcity with the poor, 
the inside of the potato may he eaten, and if 
pared thickly, the parings planted, but the 
practice should not be commended, as my 
remarks in No. 2ft evidently show that by 
this process t he vitality of the tuber is im¬ 
paired. 
From my observations in No. 2f>, it will be 
seen that the whole of the outside skin or 
coating may be removed, aud still the tuber 
possess sufficient vitality to send forth shoots 
and perpetuate itself. 
I would uot be understood as claiming that 
a piece of a potato which contained no eye 
or germ of an eye, would sprout and grow, 
for it ssems reasonable to suppose that the 
eye extends from the surface towards the 
center of the potato, and I believe it was the 
elongation from one of these eyes, which 
Bent forth the shoot that grew. 
Wluit is the effect of cutting upon the ger¬ 
mination of the potato? A very observing 
farmer told me the other day, that whole 
potato would come up four m* five days 
sooner than cut ones. Tin's fact had escaped 
my observation. 
The old-fashioned Peach Blow has long 
been adopted as the standard from which to 
compare all others, and to this comparison 
we must still yield. 1 would not be under¬ 
stood as claiming that this pr odigy of Oneida, 
which has robbed its namesake of its heri¬ 
tage, is the best potato to grow, 1 only claim 
t hat it is a good potato and well adapted to 
our short seasons, where the old-fashioned 
Peach Blow won’t mature one year in three. 
As a yialtler, i tliiuk the above results are 
fl ittering when presented iu comparison 
with the results attained on one of the ex¬ 
perimental farms of Pennsylvania. 
Of one hundred and thirty-one varieties 
planted, only two yielded at the rate of 3t)rt 
bushels to an acre. These were the Early 
Racc-horso, 392 bushels, and tire Harrison, 353 
bushels. The next highest on the list was 
the Black Mercer, 293 bushels. 
The potatoes, on the experimental plot 
above referred to, were planted about the 
20th of May, and harvested on the 14th and 
15th of October. 
flsitrom; of gjti'ibaiutrir. 
DANCING IN THE GRANGE. 
As this subject is being discussed with 
freedom, 1 feel called upon, as a “P. of H,” 
as a Christian, as one who joined the Orange 
with the positive information that, although 
it was a secret order, there “was nothing 
which would conflict with our religious prin¬ 
ciples,” to say something which shows that 
we are not so wide apart in our views as 
some may suppose. The difference is more 
in the different practices in different locali¬ 
ties than otherwise. For instance, in the 
Rural of April 11th, It. C. O. is so “indig¬ 
nant as to scarcely know how to speak on 
the subject,” and yet says that “promiscu¬ 
ous dancing should not he countenanced by 
refilled people;” also that excess in dancing 
should not be allowed, and gives a good rea¬ 
son for these opinions. That is the ground 
many others take who would be thought on 
the other side of the question. Here are 
some cases which R. C. O. probably is not 
familiar with. A large share of dancing 
communities in the West practice what R, 
C. O. so justly condemns ; and this is the 
point where so many differ in opinion. They 
never practice it. iu a temperate manner— 
are never careful as to those who constitute 
a dancing party, but go together, whisky 
and all, and stay the entire night; and here 
my disgust is so st irred by t he remembrance 
of a traveler’s relation of his entering a bar¬ 
room one morning after a dancing party bad 
occupied the hotel at night, that 1 hardly 
know how to express myself and not offend 
those who differ from me in opinion. But 
this much I can say:—I would try to train 
all pat soils under my care so they should not 
crave association with such a class of people 
as usually comprise a large share of dancing 
parties in many neighborhoods. They care 
nothing for literary exercises or the im¬ 
provement of t he mind when they get under 
headway at dancing—literally devote them¬ 
selves to it. 
A teacher who felt an earnest zeal in the 
instruction of youth told me that such par¬ 
ties, during the past winter, had really 
paralyzed his efforts for instruction—that ho 
could not arouse a desire to study after 
about the third party; and, although he was 
not a religious man, lie ex pressed the stern¬ 
est indignation at the practice. I would re¬ 
fer to It, ( J, < own description of the fasci¬ 
nation of dancing, and then say t hat it re¬ 
minds mo of “ temperate drinking.” At 
any rate 1 would, with many others, like to 
have one kind of social gatherings, which 
were somewhat devoted to improvement of 
the mind; but as long as good people prac¬ 
tice it in a mild manner, so long vs ill the 
mass make dissipation ol dancing, and try 
to thrust it into all social gatherings. 
It is certainly a disgrace to Christ ians to 
patronize dancing in this region until every¬ 
thing about it is changed for the better. 
Ax Old Settler. 
- ♦ ♦♦- - 
ITEMS ERCM THE GRANGES. 
WhIrkg null Secrets Incompatible. — A 
Missouri Ration tells how the secret- of the 
Order got out in their town "The anti 
(j rangers are having a tine dish of sport here 
at Iho present Lime, on account of obtaining 
some signs and passwords, w hich leaked out 
from an overtlow of * sod-corn extra* t,’ and 
a slight mistake. The man who divulged 
was intent, on visiting the. Orange at Beth¬ 
any; but, having Liken too much ol' the ex¬ 
tract, Jib confounded the Orange Hall and 
tho Odd Fellows, and consequently got into 
the wrong pew. The Odd fellows, to make 
the best of it, conducted him into the ante¬ 
room. as they told him, to pass an examina¬ 
tion. They obtained all the information that 
the man and the whiskey were able to give, 
and then told him thul he was not a member 
of the order*. He declared that lie was a 
fourth degree member, and repeated tlie 
signs and password. They told him that lie 
might be a Granger, but was not an Odd 
Fellow, Upon tins suggestion, either the 
man or the whiskey saw the mistake, and 
withdrew. They spread tlie news l'ar and 
near, and Gr angers are being imposed on by 
men not belonging to the order. 
A Merchant Defend* the Merchants .—A 
country merchant thus defends his class: 
The Patrons in their communications in the 
newspapers are generally very har d on the 
country merchants, although they owe a 
great, deal to those much-abused individuals. 
When the farmer was poor, how much and 
often has lie been accommodated by them 
with credit; and even now how often does 
he ask favors of them. How many mer¬ 
chants have broken up because the farmer 
would not sell his wheat and pay his debts. 
How often has he made 25 to 100 per cent, 
by holding bis grain, anil letting Ids debts 
stand at the store ; and, even now, how 
many Patrons will send off orders to Chicago 
and pay cash to somebody who has no inter¬ 
est in them lint to get their munev, nnd not 
even give the poor country merchant, who 
has accommodated them hundreds of times, 
a chance, and who would be glad to sell 
them large biffs at a small profit. 
