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MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
cdfidd dj-flop. 
PROSPECTS OF SHORT CORN SUPPLY. 
A correspondent of the Chicago Tribune 
who has had an experience of twenty years 
In the corn growing States and is familiar 
with the peculiarities of the crop and those 
who handle iu, assumes that the supply of 
oorn will be short during the present season 
and that there is not enough to furnish the 
home and supply the foreign demand up to 
the income of the uew crop ; and If the new 
crop should be a* short as it was last year, 
corn will be in great demand at high prices 
next year. This is the way ho talks upon 
the subject: 
“ 1 can but think that the shortage will be 
felt very early in the season. Soon the de¬ 
mand from the South will exhaust the supply 
from the Ohio River and tributaries, and it 
will reach up the Mississippi and Illinois 
Rivers to supply it along the water courses, 
while from interior points in Georgia and 
other Southern States will come a demand 
along the railroads to the interior points in 
Illinois and Indi um for supplies. 
In the fall of 1.873 there was not less than 
100,000,000 bushels less of ‘ old ’ corn in Illi¬ 
nois and Iowa alone to supplement the short¬ 
age of the crop of that year, and it was all 
needed and used up. In the fall of 1874, with 
a much shorter crop, there was no surplus of 
former crops to help out the shortage. 
It is said that the immense wheat crop will 
supply the shortage of the corn crop. I think 
it will to some extent; but not fully, by a 
great deal. When farmers hold their crops 
at iwme the consumption is immensely great¬ 
er. The recent reports from Minnesota show 
this fact, or that the crops were largely over¬ 
rated. The surplus has decreased wonder¬ 
fully. As a rule, the shortage of corn was 
largely in the wheat regions, and large quan¬ 
tities of wheat have been fed to stock, there 
being nothing gaired by selling one and buy¬ 
ing the other when prices were about the 
same. 
A friend writes me from the ‘ hopper' re¬ 
gions, 1 1 have wintered my stock on wheat.’ 
A miller tells me, ‘ On a recent trip to South¬ 
ern Illinois to buy wheat, 1 saw the best 
grades of winter wheat [toured to hogs,’ and 
inviewofthe fact that wheat is so cheap, 
has not large quantities of it been used for 
distillation and ether unusual purposes, that 
will consume all the surplus of that crop be¬ 
fore we are aware of it ? 
I believe it to bo true that short crops are 
always overestimated ; and when we con¬ 
sider that the shortage must come out of the 
amount, usually marketed, we must conclude 
that we have no surplus lu the Northwest. 
We have never exported over 40,000,000 
bushels of corn in any one year. Our short¬ 
age is said to be 00,000,000 bushels over last 
year, and including extra feed for winter, it 
is put at IDJ.000,000 bushels, making a differ¬ 
ence of 200,000,000 bushels betweeu our sup¬ 
ply this year and last, including the surplus 
of old corn then on hand. Now if this be 
true—and 1 think that it is nearly correct— 
we must certainty be iu a bad condition be¬ 
fore a new crop matures.” 
GROWING THE CASTOR BEAN. 
A California correspondent of the Pacific 
Rural Press says :— “ 1 have been engaged in 
the cu tivatiou of castor beans for the past 
eight years, a part of the time manufactur¬ 
ing the beans into oil. I put in from 50 to 
150 acres each ye; r, and my experience and 
observation ought to be worth something to 
those who think of engaging in the business. 
Iam well aware it has been an opinion that 
castor beans are poisonous to all kinds of 
stock. Tnis is an error as to growing plants. 
If stock could be persuaded to eat the bean, 
I have no doubt the effect upon them would 
be the same as upon a person, making them 
very sick and in some instances even causing 
death ; but stock will not eat the beans. In 
18711 planted 175 acres, and in 1872 100 acres, 
on the bank of the Feather River, below 
Marysville. Both years I not only had my 
own horses, cows, hogs and chickens, but 
frequently some of my neighbors' stock run¬ 
ning in my beaus without the least harm to 
them and very little to the beans. I find that 
colts will eat them sparingly, und my milch 
cows trimmed off the fresh leaves after the 
feed got scarce and dry, so much so one year 
that I had to take them out; not that it in¬ 
jured them in the least or their milk, for we 
used the milk in the family and made butter, 
without any perceptible change in the qual¬ 
ity. I think it an advantage to torn in hogs 
when the beans are too large to cultivate 
among them ; they wifi keep out the weeds, 
grass, etc., without, aoy injury to themselves 
or the crop. I also consider it a mistake in 
regard to castor beans driving out gophers, 
etc. I find that In ground in which I have 
bad them planted for two years, both gophers 
and squirrels are as numerous as ever. For 
hedges I should think them undesirable for 
two reasons: — First, in a country where 
there is much frost the original plants would 
kill out ; Second, they are prolific produc¬ 
ers of seed, and if not picked when ripe 
would pop and fly twenty or thirty feet each 
way ; and as the seed will remain in the 
ground all winter and grow in the spring, 
the*hedge would become very wide in a tew 
years unless a good amount of labor were 
bestowed upon it to keep it in due bounds. 
Farmere who think of engaging in the castor 
bean culture, need fear no danger as regards 
their stock, and they will find it a more de¬ 
sirable crop to raise than corn or broom corn, 
when wo take the trouble, expense and price 
obtained into consideration. I have never 
sold for less than $4 per 100 pounds, delivered 
at the nearest station or steamboat landing, 
and I have got as high as $5.” 
AL8IKE CLOVER IN CANADA. 
An Ontario correspondent of the Canada 
Farmer says :—“ Six years ago I sowed five 
pounds of Aisike as an experiment, in a rath¬ 
er low spot in the middle of a field, the re- 
mainder of which was seeded down with 
red clover and timothy. The summer turned 
out so dry and hot, that scaroely any of either 
grew ; and the next winter killed, as I 
thought, the rest; bo that, in the following 
spring, I put in a crop of oats with the culti¬ 
vator, seeding down again the whole piece 
with a plentiful supply of red clover and tim¬ 
othy. * Of course I thought that, under suoh 
John Barleycorn treatment the Aisike would 
b© dead. Not so, however ; on the contrary, 
It has increased and multiplied until it now 
fills the ground in place of the red, which is 
dead and gone long ago. Three years ago I 
mixed twenty pounds of AUike with sixty 
pounds of red and then added an equal bulk 
of timothy. With this mixture I seeded down 
about fourteen acres. The first year 1 had a 
nice crop of red clover, with here and there 
a plant of Aisike and timothy. The next 
year I had a crop of Aisike and timothy, 
with a little red. The result was so much 
in favor of Aisike that I seeded seventy Vres 
with it last spring on the high land 
with red, and on the low land with timothy 
without any red clover. I should prefer red 
on the high land ; but it soon dies out, and I 
tliiuk ‘ a live dog is better than a dead lion.’ ” 
--»♦».. ■ i ■ 
LANE’S IMPROVED SUUAR BEET. 
A correspondent of the Maine Farmer 
gives the preference to this, but adds:—“I 
am aware that larger crops can be grown on 
a given amount of land of some other varie¬ 
ties of beets ; but from what experience I 
have had I should give the preference to that 
variety, believing that what it lacks in quan¬ 
tity is moro than made up in quality. This 
variety does not average so large in size as 
most of the kinds—hence, the plants may be 
grown nearer together. It will pay any one 
to take especial pains in preparing the ground 
for any variety of the root crop and particu¬ 
larly iu preparing a deep, mellow soil. And 
if you think you have amply enough dressing 
for one acre, put it upon three-fourths that 
amount of land and add a little more manure 
and the result will be more satis factory and 
require less labor. It is not so much of a 
job to raise a crop of roots as many seem to 
suppose. There is, of course, some h,md- 
weedirg to be done ; but generally once 
going over them is enough, as oil rich land 
with good cultivation, the plants soon cover 
the ground and smother out the weeds that 
may have gained a foothold. It is belter to 
sow plenty of seed and thin out than to fill 
up gaps by transplanting, although the lat¬ 
ter sli uld be done when from any cause the 
plants fail to make a stand. I should advise 
to get a seed drill, if but a quarter of an acre 
Is to be planted.” 
-*-•*-•*- 
“IS IT RIGHT TO GROW BARLEY V 
So asks a correspondent of the Rural 
New-Yorker? Why not ? We know of no 
reason why it is not right. If our corres¬ 
pondent refer? to the matter of growing it 
for sale to brewer's for beer making purposes, 
that is a question which each oue must de¬ 
cide lor himself. There are probably as 
many men who conscientiously believe it 
right as there are who believe it wrong. 
This question of the right or wrong of doing 
a thing is a matter for the individual con¬ 
science just as are the religious creeds, modes 
of baptism. &(?., a man shall adopt. But as 
to the abstract question proposed above, : 
there is but one arswer, anymore than there I 
is to the question whether a mau has a right 
to eat or drink. 
Jfeitd gejartmcttt. 
CLIMATE AND PRODUCTS OF OREGON. 
From December 1st to April 1st we have 
considerable rain, consequently muddy roads. 
As a rule the ground seldom freezes—at least 
for not more than ten or twelve days during 
the winter. From April 1st to June, fre¬ 
quent showers and weather warm. June to 
December dry and pleasant, with cool nights, 
and a week or two of hot weather during 
July. 
Spring seeding is done from April to June, 
the*frequent showers permitting an exten¬ 
sible of the season for sowing various spring 
crops. Wheat, oats, barley and flax are 
grown, but wheat comprises about three- 
fourths of the area sown with grain. Of 
winter wheat a small amount is teown in Oc¬ 
tober and November. Timothy and orchard 
grass do well hero. Spring wheat yields 15 
to 25 bashels per acre, and winter 20 to 30 ; 
oats, 25 to 35 ; barley, about the same and 
flax seed 10 to 10. Potatoes and turnips are 
extra, while corn, tomatoes and the ordinary 
annual vines require a little extra care. 
Apples, pears, plums and cherries give 
bountiful crops, and nearly all kinds of small 
fruits do reasonably well, with care. This 
year we are to have several Alden fruit- 
dryiog establishments in operation, which 
will enable us to save our surplus fruits and 
prevent loss. 
Farm animals require about four weeks 
feeding on an average during winter. During 
the past two years the price of cattle has 
been quite low, and immense numbers have 
been driven to Eastern Oregon, to wbat is 
termed the “ bunch-grass ” regions, and as 
a consequence moro land in the western 
counties will be put under the plow. Farm 
lands range in price from ten to thirty dol¬ 
lars per acre, according to improvements 
upon them and location. Stock or grazing 
lands five to fifteen dollars per acre in the 
coast range of mountains. There is still 
plenty of land to be had under Homestead 
and Pre-emption acts, and although in a 
rough, wild state, covered with brash and 
timber, it is good and productive when 
brought under cultivation. Such lands can 
be had at from eight to twenty miles from 
the river or railroads. 
From Portland, the head of ocean com¬ 
merce on the Willamette River, to Eugene 
City, the head of river navigation, a distance 
of one hundred and fifty miles, the country 
is known as the Willamette Valley, which 
comprises the heart of Western Oregon. 
There is a railroad from Portland to Eugene 
City on the east aide of the river, also fifty 
miles of road on the west side, which is to 
be completed to Eugene City the present 
season. Another is contemplated and ex¬ 
pected to be bu It this summer from Cor¬ 
vallis, Benton Co., to the ocean at Vaguina 
Bay, ft distance of 50 miles, muking a con¬ 
nection with the west side road ami river. 
When these roads are completed Benton 
County will be second to none in the State 
in its facilities for raising and shipping farm 
products. Benton. 
FROM SUMNER COUNTY, TENN. 
In answer to inquiries I give the following : 
In Tennessee and throughout the South thc- 
soil is generally good — a large proportion of 
it rich, and with proper attention could be 
brought tons high state of cultivation as any 
part of the continent. Lands are going to 
waste which in New York would be worth 
from fifty to one hundred dollars per acre. 
Farms can be procured on shares, rented, 
bought low down, or the proprietors will 
give good wages for hands. 
The climate is excellent. The farmer can 
work almost the year round out-of-doors. 
Nine months in the year grass, properly cul¬ 
tivated, flourishes to one’s satisfaction, and 
in most parts stock, with plenty of pasture, 
need nothing else except shelter. 
So far as crops are concerned we can pro¬ 
duce anything in the South that can be pro¬ 
duced in the United States, and with as little 
trouble, when our farms 01*0 once in good 
condition. The field is open to manufac¬ 
tories, dairying, bee keeping, poultry, See. 
Society, as a general thing, is good. We 
are a little tangled with Civil Rights bills 
and one fool tiling and another which cause 
some trouble with the two races, but time 
will soon settle all this. Dr. W. P. Moore. 
Colonies of Northern Men in the South. 
—Mr. C. V. ,S. Wilson, Buekhead, Morgan 
Co., Ga., answers the inquiry of a corre¬ 
spondent in Rural of Jan. lfi :—“ We have 
no organized colony here but have nearly a 
hundred Northern families scattered over 
the county ; and there are plenty of large 
tracts of land which can be purchased for 
colonies to settle upon. Many of us are from 
New York ; others from New Jersey, Penn¬ 
sylvania, Illinois, Whconsin, etc. 
^amn (Bctrnomu. 
L . O 
HEN MANURE, UNLEACHED ASHES, 
LIME, &0. 
“An Old Subscriber” asks the Rural 
New-Yorker how to mix hen droppings, 
unleached ashes, plaster, lime and salt; the 
preparation of each ; how and when to mix ; 
if best to drop in the bill for corn, or on the 
corn after it is up ?” In response, we should 
not make any such mixture at all. Hen 
droppings may be mixed with plaster with 
profit. Mix four parts of hen dropping with 
one part of plaster: mix in a box or barrel, 
thoroughly dampening the masswitb water. 
The mass might be dampened with strong 
brine, but that is the only way in which we 
should mix salt with it for corn. Then use 
this mixture in the hill, covering it slightly 
with earth before dropping the corn on it. 
The. uuleachod ashes We should apply as a 
top-dressing to the corn hills after the corn is 
hoed once, or the ashes may be sown broad¬ 
cast upon the ground before harrowing and 
after plowing. Whether this would be best 
or not would depend upon the amount of 
ashes at your disposal. The best lime and 
salt mixture that wo have used is to buy 
fresh-burned stone-lime and slake it by 
using a strong brine ; then sow the lime 
broadcast at tho rate of 50 to 100 bushels per 
acre after p owing and before harrowing ; 
or, if the land has been fall plowed and the 
spriug plowing is done shallow, as it should 
be if tho fall plowing wo a deep, 30 W the lime 
before plowing. Piaster may be used profit¬ 
ably on corn, mixed with the hen manure as 
above decribed, and also applied as top¬ 
dressing, mixing it with the ashes—one- 
third piaster to two-thirds ashes—after the 
corn is up, either before or after the hosing. 
Wc should never use salt on the hill for com, 
except in the way we have indicated. We 
have used salt, lime and ashes—say 1-7 salt, 
3 7 lime and 8-7 ashes—in the hill for pota 
too*, with good results. 
RELATIVE VALUE 0? MANURES. 
The New England Homestead reports the 
following as having been said at a recent 
meeting of the Frankliu Harvest Club: 
John W. Hubbard of Northampton, who 
has had a good deal of experience in market 
gardening said ho was no friend to commer¬ 
cial fertilizers, but preferred barn yard 
manure for every crop. It should be fine, 
and if he could afford it, be would not use 
any until it had been stored or composted 
two years, mixing some ingredient with it to 
keep it from heating. If he was obliged to 
buy, he would prefer to pay ten dollars per 
cord for stable manure than to invest in 
commercial fertilizers. Spinach, lettuce and 
celery must have rapid growth to get the 
good quality. Hia method of cultivating 
celery is to make a trench twelve inches 
deep, and fill up six inches with fine manure 
before sotting the plants, and to fill up with 
earth as fast as they grow. He always sold 
it in the fall, and has had no success in keep¬ 
ing over the winter. 
Edwin 11. Judd of South Hadley is another 
extensive market gardener, but says the 
business did not pay last year as formerly. 
As to fertilizers, he objected to mixing fish 
and ashes together. By an experiment with 
potatoes, he obtained double the crop, if 
they were used separately. !t costs a good 
deal to find out which U the best fertilizer for 
a particular crop. He had not much faith in 
anything but fink, and pure Peruvian Guano ; 
the latter was important as a ' priming” or 
to stimulate the crop for an early start. 
ECONOMICAL NOTES. 
Let the Farmer Think of Thia .—Alderman 
Mechi says, “ I eouid never understand why 
the farmer should deeply cultivate his garden 
and should not cultivate Ida farm. It is a 
great mistake.” So it is. The best farmers, 
and the most successful ones we know of, 
never make it. but do not forget that what¬ 
ever is worth doing is worth doing well. 
China Berrien as a Fertiliser.—The Rural 
Carolinian says: - Last year a planter in 
Georgia tested the China berry as manure 
for corn, in comparison with cotton seed, 
which he sowed in rows alternately. The 
yield of the rows planted with the China 
berry was fifteen per cent greater than that 
of the cotton seed! 
