SEPT. 47 
TOE BUBAL MEW-YOBKEB, 
competition under the charter of the institu¬ 
tion before which it was exhibited, in 1880 
the same article was exhibited again, and a* 
committee of two only, who were not only not 
experts, but quite ignorant, of the use of the 
article ns well as of its principles of construc¬ 
tion, recommended it for a certificate of merit, 
thus stultifying the institution, depreciating 
the value of its awards, and lessening its influ¬ 
ence among the public at large. Does not 
something like this take place occasionally at 
some other of our State and county fairs ? 1 
fear so. Again, can any real estimate be 
formed of the value of a new implement with¬ 
out, in most oases, an actual trial in the field, 
under the eyes of experienced men f I have 
seen a now and untried seed sower rolled a few 
times over some boards, and then awarded a 
first-class prize. This is one ease of many. A 
prize so awarded may do the inventor or the 
manufacturer much good ; but how about the 
society and the public ? Should they not bo 
thought of, too ? The subject is full of embar¬ 
rassments, I know, but, would anything be lost 
to the parties most interested if the president 
and the managers should look a little deeper 
into the working of their own machinery, and 
not leave it to go bo much alone ? 
farm (Toiiics. 
A more or less common village scene. Mrs. 
A. has a good many household cares, but is 
fond of her plants, and has come out to do a 
little weeding. Mr*. 11. is a neighbor, and one 
of those selfish or unfortunate beings who do 
nothing themselves, except gossip, and make 
it the business of their lives to prevent, others 
from doing anything. Mrs. A. no sooner be¬ 
gins weeding than Mrs. LI. is through the gate 
and at her side, In a few moments a peculiar 
chord seems to be struck, weeding is suspended 
and an animated talk begins, and goes on for 
an hour or so. Mrs. B. thou, for some reason 
not apparent,, goes home ; Mrs, A. begins 
weeding again, mid 1 walk off. 1 have be¬ 
come interested, however, mid in about half 
an hour return for observation, and ns sure us 
1 live, there they are at it again and, to look at 
them, you would think by their actions that 
they had not seen each other for twenty years, 
And tliis I saw repeated three or four times 
during the day. Now how is Mrs. A. ever to 
get her weeding or anything else done with 
such a neighbor at hand ? And of what use 
totiie world is Mrs. H. anyhow ( And what do 
they talk about all this time ? 1 am greatly 
puzzled. Is there any rational explanation for 
it ? 1 am only tolling what I have more t han 
once seen, and what others also lmve probably 
seen. If Mrs. B. can find not,bing useful to do, 
she should at least remember that there are 
others who can, and want to do it, too. Tin- 
Mi's. It’s, are certainly not honey bees, who 
are workers, though they do sometimes sting. 
llORTIOOLA, 
The Rotting of tho Tomato. 
The Rural may be, and no doubt is, correct 
so far as its observation extends, in attribut¬ 
ing the rotting of tomatoes to the tomato 
worm, but could the editor see mine, he must 
agree with me that such is not always the 
case. Ho far as I can discern, the tomato 
worm is the Carolina Sphynx, or tobacco 
worm. [No, ours is the Five-spotted Sphinx 
—S. quinquomaculnta.—E ds.] II appears on 
tomatoes be foe tobacco is sufficiently grown 
to receive much injnryfrorn its depreda¬ 
tions— in June, or sometimes in May — 
whereas the fight oil tobacco does not be¬ 
come serious until August, at which time 
no worms are to be found on the tomato 
plants. This year I have been unable to find 
one since about July 1, and yet the fruit de¬ 
cayed and is still decaying when nearly or 
quite matured, with no indications of being 
injured by worms or any other cause. Fur¬ 
thermore, I have noticed green specimens 
with perbups a tenth part eaten away (1 
suppose by the worms; 1 did not sen them 
do it), yet the wound has dried over, healed, 
and the portion remaining has ripened sound 
and perfect. As the cause cannot be as¬ 
signed, of course no remedy is recommended. 
Warren Co., N. C. M. B. Pkinck. 
Practical Use for Yucca Filamentowa. 
When the Rural presented its readers with 
seeds of “Yucca filaiiientoga,” knowu also as 
“ Htrong Grass,” “Bear Gruss,” and “Thready 
Eucre”—the latter probably a corruption of 
the real name- the editor said nothing of tho 
useful properties of tho leaves, no doubt be 
lioving, as all must, that tho (lowers would 
repay the care a nd trouble of growing. Yucca 
grows spontaneously in many parts of the 
Kouth, where it. is made practically useful, of 
which fact many at the North who now have 
it growing in bheir gardens are entirely igtio 
rant. We pull itwuy the leaves us every pie 
maker knows liow to gather pic plant. In al¬ 
most every garden in this ,State is found a 
thrifty bunch of Strong Grass, to which the 
whole family resort, whenever a short, strong 
tyiug material is required. The meat is hung 
up with it; bags are tied with it; and tins year 
having used the last of some inferior twine, I 
tried the Yucca leaves for tying grape-vines, 
and find them superior to anything ever used 
except wire. m. b. p. 
SOME EXCELLENT HINTS TO EX¬ 
HIBITORS OF FARM PRODUCTS 
AT FAIRS. 
The most seasonable topic at this season of 
the year for the consideration of the farming 
community is our agricultural exhibitions. 
Outside of the professional stock breeders, 
gardeners and mechanics who have wares 
which they consider necessary to be kept before 
the public at nil times, there are very few who 
give agricultural shows a thought until a few 
short weeks before tho date of exhibiting. 
Those who exhibit year after year always pay 
some little attent ion to such things and know 
how to excel. This class 1 do not presume to 
advise. To the other and greater class who 
only exhibit some choice article occasionally, 
a few practical hints may lie ol’ groat value. 
Now, although no one pretends to exhibit for 
the sake of winning the premiums offered, but 
only to gratify the pride of succeeding in an 
honorable competition, still it is necessary to 
procure a copy of the premium list offered by 
the society in order to see what avenues are 
open to honorable competition, and, incident¬ 
ally, to see what amount in money is to reward 
the successful, honorable competitor. If, as is 
sometimes the case, the exhibitor intends to 
fill all tho entries in any particular class, it is 
demoralizing to compute the amount of prem¬ 
iums for that, class- at least before the judges 
make their awards known, for judges are af tor 
all only human. Very few farmers in prepar¬ 
ing for the fair forget their pumpkins and 
turnips, their potatoes, corn and smaller grain. 
Now, in all the premium lists that I have over 
seen, in the class of vegetables occurs this note: 
“ All the above to be field culture and to bo 
n fair sample of tho crop. Potatoes and roots 
to be shown as dug, not sorted.” 
Now, I fear that an amateur exhibitor might 
lie misled by this note. Some inexperienced 
farmer might show a basket of potatoes in 
which there were some small and a good many 
medium-sized tubers. Such a foolish exhibitor 
would moot his merited reward -. his potatoes 
would be unnoticed by the judges among the 
great quantities of tubers neatly washed and 
sorted. Potatoes as well aw other vegetables 
should be a fair sample of the whole crop. 
Webster defines “ fair ” to be, 1st., free from 
spots, dirt, and imperfections, spotless, pure; 
2nd., handsome, beautiful. Now, with this 
brie€ explanation no one can lie so stupid as to 
think it necessary that a sample exhibited 
should be an average rather than a “fair'' 
sample. To sustain my jiosition I have only 
to cite the well known fact that, judges, time 
out of mind, have persisted in giving tin's 
requirement tho same moaning which 1 
have here ascribed to it. To comply with 
it, the sample of potatoes exhibited should 
not be procured until after the entire crop 
has boon dug and properly sui ted. During 
this process a “fair, handsome, beautiful” 
sample of the crop may be obtained. After 
the necessary quantity 1ms been selected, 
they should be carefully washed, for they must 
be also freo from sputa, dirt, or imperfections, 
The exhibitor should bo od. hand when tho 
committee goes around to make awards, and 
insist that he has complied with the letter and 
spirit of the requirement. Another hint may 
bo also worth considering : If Mr. A. has a 
sample inferior to Mr li. ’w, then Mr. A. should 
suggest to some member of the committee 
that Mr. B.’s potatoes lmve evidently boon 
sorted, and that therefore the competition is 
uirfui r. A careful attention to these few crude 
suggestions will probably be rewarded with suc¬ 
cess. They apply with equal force to prepar¬ 
ing other vegetables for exhibitions. Another 
foolish requirement is that Samples exhibited 
should be grown by Die exhibitor. It works 
hardship in many eases, as, l'or instance, some 
worthy farmer lias only three or four of the 
necessary half dozen enormous pumpkins for 
exhibition ; he is, under this rule, debarred 
from exhibiting mi less lie con borrow from 
his neighbor Now, the only way out of this 
dilommu is to borrow enough from some neigh¬ 
bor to make tip the necessary number, l’ut by 
no means lend the few enormous squashes or 
pumpkins you may have to any one. The 
spirit, of this rule prohibits your growing 
vegetables of any sort to be exhibited by an¬ 
other. This practice of borrowing for exhi¬ 
bitions works charmingly in the class for fruit. 
I have known an exhibitor to scour a whole 
towu to procure samples of different varieties 
of fruit for exhibition. 
In all other classes there arc numerous 
methods of excelling. Sheep to bo exhibited 
should have been “ stubble-sheared " months 
ago ; lambs should be shown with owes that 
lmvo not suckled them. Ewes, to show to 
good advantage, should not have produced 
lambs during the year they are exhibited. 
Home little advantage will accrue from being 
on Jiand at tho time the judges am making 
their award*, and inducing them to boliovo 
that your Bhoep wore shorn ut least two 
months later than was the case, that the lambs 
shorn are twins and are two months younger 
than is the fact, and that the ewes exhibited 
all suckled twins and that said twins were 
weaned only a few days before the fair. At 
least two out of three judges will know noth¬ 
ing about sheep , and t his is an honorable coin 
petition, and the honor consist*, in succeeding. 
Ypur calves and pigs should be younger than the 
stock of other competitors, and it is well to state 
Diis fai t, to the committee and also that your 
stock have had no extra caro, and that you 
did not think of showing until the day before 
the fail’. It will do no harm to be friendly 
wit h tho judges. Milch cows, to show to good 
advantage, should have come in profit but a 
few days before the exhibition, and should not 
be milked the morning of the day on which 
the awards are to be made. 
To the fair sex who aspire to become suc¬ 
cessful exhibitors, l would say, briefly, do not 
make anything for exhibition that can be 
bought. Why make preserves, pickles, bis¬ 
cuit*; and bread when bettor samples can be 
purchased. Some articles of fancy-work can 
be exhibited year after year, and thus become 
quite a source of profit. By a successful ex¬ 
hibition you establish a sort of prestige that 
may lie useful in other exhibitions and in suc¬ 
ceeding years. 
By a close attention to these few hints and 
the careful elaboration of other ideas that 
suggest, themselves to the exhibitor, a certain 
degree of success may be attained and a curtain 
amount of money acquired. The one thing 
above all others that should bo remembered is, 
that the honor of an honorable competition 
consults solely in succeeding. 
St. Luworeuco Co., N. Y. F. K. Moreland. 
THE EVAPORATION OF FRUIT.-NO. 4 
J. G. BINGHAM. 
Its Profits. 
It is characteristic of the business Yankee, 
previous to any investment, to make the pertL 
nent inquiry : “Will it pay ?" This question 
has been repoatadly asked of me in regard to 
Die evaporation of fruits. 
Before I run answer satisfactorily I must 
assume., first, that you have fruit-bearing 
orchards or can purchase fruit at reasonable 
prices: second, that you will with reasonable 
industry keep your ovuporat-or at work ; 
third, that your products shall be first-claas 
and command full market prices. With these 
conditions, so far as relates to fruit, evapora¬ 
tor, product and market., I answer emphatic 
ally, “ Yes.” The business is now recognized 
as a legitimate farm industry. Rarely will 
any investment on tho farm, or indeed in any 
legitimate business, pay handsomer or quicker 
returns, For example, 1,000 bushels of apples 
will yield 5,000 pounds of evaporated fruit, 
which is quoted in Die last, number of the Ilu- 
kaIj—S eptember 10—ns worth II to 11cents 
per pound.«Tho actual market value of tho pro¬ 
duct, of the 1,000 bushels is $550, while the value 
of the 1,000 bushels of green fruit at 20 Conte 
j»r bushel, is $200. The value of the time occu¬ 
pied in paring, drying, fuel for the evaporator, 
etc., wil not exceed $100, leaving a balance 
for profit of $250. 
From aet.ua 1 tests given certain quanti¬ 
ties of fruits, I have gathered Dio following; 
7,000 bushels of apples evajjornted by n well 
known fruit grower, yielded 41,0-15 pounds of 
dried fruit, which sold for 10 cents per pound, 
or $4,10-1,50 : 500 bushels of Block cap rnsj>- 
berries evaporated by tho “ Fredouia Fruit 
Drying Co,”, of Fredouia, N. Y., made 5,000 
pounds of dried fruit, which readily sold for 
00 cents per pound. 
Two acres of sweet corn yielded 1,800 pounds 
of dried com which sold for $180 ; time occu¬ 
pied in drying, 10 days ; cost of labor and fuel, 
$48: 1740 baskets of pooled peaches L',, bushel 
per basket) yielded, when cured, 0,00() pounds, 
and sold for 80 cents pur pound, or $1,827. Tho 
cost, of the peaches at 25 cents per basket, and 
of peeling and evaporating them at 10 cents a 
basket, was $713.40, leaving the handsome 
profit of $1,118.00. From practical expe¬ 
rience in tho dessienUon and evajioniDon 
of fruits, 1 am convinced that Die fore¬ 
going tests are by no means exaggerated, 
but are about an average in quantities and 
prices received. 
As to the important problem who manufac¬ 
tures the best evaporators as regards general 
principles and correct methods of construc¬ 
tion, material used in them, perfection of work, 
oto., there is a diversity of opinion. The Zln» 
merman mid the American Dryers, both of 
which are advertised in tho RURAL, 1 have 
thoroughly tested by actual use, and, more¬ 
over, 1 have soon t hem used by many orehnrd- 
ists, and they commend themselves to the 
general observer in preference to large and 
costly evaporators, for their low price, porta 
bilily, rapjd and continuous evaporation, and 
bright, perfectly cured fruit. An evaporator 
costing from $50 to $73 will thoroughly 
evaporate from five to twelve bushels of 
apples per day. < hte costing from $100 to $200 
will evaporate from 15 to 40 bushels, and 
larger sizes, costing $400 to $050, will evapor¬ 
ate from 100 to 150 bushels per day of 24 hours 1 
continuous work. It is to be hoped that the 
thousands of bushels of fruits that yearly go 
to waste or that are converted into cider, 
wiuos and other intoxicants, etc., may, in¬ 
stead, be evaporated and thus yield a hand¬ 
some revenue in place of loss to our orehard- 
ists and agriculturists. 
In conclusion, I would most earnestly im_ 
press upon the minds of the readers of the 
Rural Dio importance, economy and satis¬ 
factory results of this branch of farm in¬ 
dustry. The proper utilization of the waste 
of fruits it would indeed be difficult to over¬ 
estimate ; happily the apathy of years past 
is giving way, and the recent progress in 
evaporating our surplus fruits, if continued, 
will place evaporated fruit among tho largest 
items in Die lisls of our exports, and thus 
American fruit- will hold a foremost place in 
ull Die markets of the world. 
MeGrawville, N. Y. 
CRUSHED GRAIN. 
The description of a grain crusher on page 
531 of tho Rural, opens up a matter I think 
of great importance to all dosses of farmers, 
especially to those who feed ground food to 
stock, and to tho other claw who food whole 
grain. While tho former gain probably 25 
per cent, by having their grain ground, they 
lose in another way quite as much—in the 
time occupied in going to mill, the charge for 
grinding, a little Io.-m here, and a trifle there, 
that goes quite a way in balancing the gain 
by grinding: the other class lose their 25 per 
cent, out right- and probably some more. 
This brings me to my query, which I trust 
may be discussed by other correspondents 
of the Rural— why do not more farmers 
have farm mills, and grind their own corn, 
crush their oats, and, besides, “fine” the beans, 
jieas and barley, that are foil upon Die farm ? 
To mo such a machine would soom to be a 
groat economy, not only in dollars and cents, 
but also in time, and would also furnish u way 
to prepare other kinds of feed than corn, t hat 
are not usually ground at the grist mills. 
I have no experience with tho crusher de¬ 
scribed, nor with stool burr mills for tho 
farm, but for 25 years 1 have had an Excelsior 
farm mill—a huge coffee mill, the principle 
being a double cone, the inside one stationary, 
tho outer one revolving about it by moans of 
a sweep. For all of t hat I imo I have “cheated 
tho miller” out of his toll by grinding all my 
grain for stock, Die sum total some years ap- 
proachiug 2,000 bushels; anil there has been no 
expense in all that time, save for a pair or 
two of new " rings” or burrs. Tho speed is 
from 10 to 20 bushels of corn (ill tho car) per 
hour. With this mill I grind when 1 wish, and 
always have my meal fresh. 1 have no three- 
mile journey to make to the grist mill, and often 
weary delays there svaiting “my turn,” and tho 
“griit” is usually well ground—and no toll to 
pay. Crushed grains are, I am satisfied, as 
conducive to good results in feeding, as tho 
fine, dust like meal that many insist, upon, and 
many years of rather close observation fail to 
shake my opinion that, a kernel of corn 
crushed into twenty pieces is fully a* nutri¬ 
tious as the same kernel ground into dust-llko 
flour, so that 1 have, for a number of years, 
turned the " set ” of my mill back a couple of 
notches and ground somewhat.coarser Dura in 
the beginning. Mills adapted for farm use 
are not particularly expensive, and if they 
are used with care, they will last a lifetime. 
Twenty-five years 1 service has not detracted a 
dollar from the working value of my old mill; 
and should any of my readers chance upon 
my farm in 190(1, he will probably see tho 
veritable old null grinding, slowly perhaps, 
but uoue the less fine. JOHN Gould. 
Ohio X Roads, O. 
COVERING WEEDS WITH A PLOW. 
In tho Rural of Aug. 20, I find an illus¬ 
trated description of a plow arranged for 
covering weeds, Dill grass, rye, etc. In exam¬ 
ining it, 1 observed that one important part 
was omitted—that of having a short chain or 
small rope extending from tho drag-chain to 
the plow-rung. In order to do good work, tli« 
chain should be heavy from the plow beam to 
n short distance in front of the furrow slice, 
and the links should be short, with ns small 
Kpaoes os possible, as Die woods and grass will 
not be as liable to become entangled in the 
chain. This invention 1ms been patented, as 
may be observed by reference to the Report 
of Die Commissioner of Agriculture for I8<i(5, 
p. 244, in which is a very clear illustration. 
Bouthold, N.Y. H. T. T. 
Combined Drill and Lister. 
For tho lust live years or more the practice 
of “ listing” corn has boon extending rapidly 
in the Far West, especially in Kansas, Western 
Missouri and Nebraska. According to l’ro- 
fessor Sholdon, of tho Kansas Stats Agricul- 
