perience in building cutters. Like all the work 
turned out by the firm, this cutter is made of 
the best material and in a thoroughly work¬ 
man-like manner. It is of extraordinary 
strength, weight and capacity, and admirably 
adapted to fulfill the requirements of evenness 
of cut, great durability, enormous capacity, 
and ease of feeding essential in a good ensilage 
cutter. Apart from these advantages, the 
special claim is put in for it, that, while the 
kniv.« of downward-cutting machines are al¬ 
ways rapidly “ dulled ” and often broken by 
cutting down upon the gravel, stones and 
other grit, which are always to be found, more 
or less, in hay, straw, stalks and other fodder, 
the four spiral knives of this machine, cut¬ 
ting upward, escape this injury, as there is a 
space in front mid rear of the rollers through 
whic h objectionable matter drops, being 
loosen ed by the rollers, so that fodder goes to 
the knives free of all grit, etc. Our agent has 
often seen these machines in use and assures 
us that in every ease they were proving 
highly satisfactory. While the Giant Gut¬ 
ters Nos. 18 and 20, ran by sweep power or 
a small agricultural engine, are designed 
especially for cutting ensilage, seven smaller 
sizes of cutters are made by the same firm 
for cutting other sorts of fodder. Indestruct¬ 
ible chain carriers as well as extension tables 
are also furnished to order. Full descriptive 
circulars and price lists will be supplied on 
application. 
RURAL BRIEFLETS. 
We have received several samples of wheat 
from Mr. R. Parkhurst, of Missoula Co., Mon¬ 
tana. Of one variety he says: 
“ It isa wheat known here as White Aouse 
or Aowse which is now generally raised by our 
farmer*. When fully developed the kernels 
are much larger than tlmse of Oregou Club, 
specimens of' which T also forward, and it 
yields more than any other variety wo have 
ever tided. I have'found here a head of the 
Club VV heat containing 120 kernels und a sin¬ 
gle stool containing 1*J0 stalks, all from a sin¬ 
gle kernel. I also send some specimens of the 
Washington Oats raised here from the Rural 
seed.” 
We do not know of any wheat by that name; 
but it closely resembles the “ White Fountain ” 
which wo have been raising at the Rural 
Farm for two years, originally from Spring 
Seed. We take it that Mr. P.’s samples are 
from a Spring-sown crop. These heads aver¬ 
age nearly six inches and about 10 breasts to a 
side. The remarkable part of them is that 
each breast contains from five to seven kernels 
of large size. We would feel much obliged to 
Mr. Parkhurst if he would send us (at our ex¬ 
pense, of course), a quart of this seed in time to 
sow next FalL An illustration of White 
Fountain will appear in the Rural in due 
time, so that our friend will have the oppor¬ 
tunity of comparing his White Aouse with it. 
One panicle of his Washington Oats measures 
one foot and 10 inches and bears S39 spikelets; 
the other measures 18 inches and beam 293 
spikelets. These remarkable panicles may be 
seen at the Rural office. 
Our friend-indeed aud quondam 
they are similar. The two heads sent to us Centennsal two heads bearing white beards, 
by Mr. Haines bore white beards. That is no The beards of one bead were pulled off and 
proof that the variety is not Black-bearded the two heads forwarded to Messrs. S. Y 
Centennial. At least one-quarter of the heads Haines & Co. with the following note of in- 
of our plot of the latter bore white beards. quiry: 
The grains of Mr. Haines's samples were “ We send you two*heads. Which Is Black-bearded 
compared with Black-bearded Centennial Centennlal-whteb GoldeigGraius, if either?” 
grains sent to us by Professor Blount. The The following, received the 12th inst., is the 
shape was not precisely the same, though the reply: 
difference was less than that we have observed “We are somewhat puzzled over the heads 
in others of the same variety grown in widely- of wheat sent us to examine. The shape of the 
separated regions. Other samples of the ker- grain is like Golden Grains, but if you will 
nels of Golden Grains could not be distin- compare the heads with what we sent you, 
guished from those of the Black-bearded Cen- you will find a difference between them. The 
tennial. Mr. Haines is mistaken also in say- mesh is not the same, neither is the grain as 
ing that they are larger. good; probably this is a poor sample head you 
We observed another difference, viz., that sent. We would like to know about the two 
the breasts of the “Golden Grains” were closer wheats, or if they are one and the same thing 
together on Mr. Haines’s samples than upon —because we introduced our wheat three years 
THE PERFECT HATCHER.—SEE PAGE 716.— FIG. 495. 
those either of our own or Prof. Blount’s 
Centennial. But this variation often occurs 
even in the same field of wheat. In the 
“ wholesale price list ” sent out by Messrs. S. 
Y. Haines <!fc Co. to seedsmen and dealers 
some remarkable statements are made. It 
says: “The size of the grain is enormous, 
fully three times as large as our best common 
wheat!’’ Inasmuch as the grain is no larger 
than that of Black-bearded Centennial—sup¬ 
posing them to be different kinds—this state¬ 
ment is erroneous. It also states that it is 
“the heaviest grain” to the busheL This is 
also erroneous, since it weighs but 62 pounds. 
It also states that “ Golden Grains makes the 
finest flour in the world 1” This is absurd. It 
is a soft wheat and deficient in gluten. How 
have S, Y. Haines & Co. ascertained that “ it 
makes the best flour in the world ?’. 
Messrs. Haiues & Co. sell this “ Wonderful 
Golden Grains ” or “ Palestine Mammoth 
Wheat” the present season to seedsmen at 
“40 cents per pound, net." If it is not Black- 
bearded Centennial and is all that the firm 
claim for it, they have a right to fix their 
own price and give it the name of “ Golden 
Grains," provided it had no name. But in so 
far as we are enabled to judge from careful 
observation and inquiry, this Golden Grains is 
Black-bearded Centennial; for which reason 
we have endeavored to guard our readers 
ago. This makes the fourth season. We pro¬ 
cured seed from the Willimette Valley, 
Oregon, and from a reliable party. The first 
we have heard about Centennial or Black- 
bearded Wheat has been the past two seasons. 
Please to give us what data, etc. you have, 
and let’s trace up the history of each. The 
heads you sent are the first thing we have 
seen approaching ours; but we would like a 
little more information on the subject. 
S. Y. Haines & Co.” 
We have only to add that we have not suc¬ 
ceeded in our endeavors to trace the history 
of Black-bearded Centennial and would be glad 
to receive any information in the matter. 
Messrs. Haines & Co. seem no longer to press 
their statement that the two kinds are as dif¬ 
ferent “as day is from night” and we are 
glad they are now willing that we should 
know as much about it as they. 
Indian Corn. —Prof. Beal begins a lec¬ 
ture on Indian Com by stating that he 
good A. A., is the sincerest evidence 
of admiration. Now, be frank—just 
once to see how it seems, and speakf 
out—like a little man—vour admii-C^H 
“ Ocr attention was called to th> * 
remarks on Wheats in the Rural o j 
a late date by a friend. And v • 
see you are still of the opinion th; 
‘ ‘ Black-bearded Centennial ” an B 
“ Golden Grains" is the same when 5j : M 
We send you by to-day’s express 
package containing heads or “Go p 
den Grains,'’new crop; please toe: U?* vMPP 
amine the same and oblige voiu: 
truly. You will not find any Black 
beard about t hem. Because there is 
“a similarity” between the two 
wheats is no reason why you should 
jump at. conclusions. One is black 
and the other is white, aud “ Golden 
Grains" is a larger grain aud a 
different-shaped berry from the 
“ Centennial Wheat.” We trust you 
will do us the justice to notice the 
difference in th * next issue of the Rural. Re¬ 
spectfully, S. Y. Haines & Co. 
In a previous communication, in reply to 
our letter of inquiry, Mr. Haines refused to 
give us ° j light as to the origin of “Golden 
Crams,” but he stated that the Black-bearded 
Centennial and “Golden Grains” were “as 
different as day and night.” Now he admits 
GIANT ENSILAGE CUTTER, 
against imposition. Should it appear that 
the Rural is mistaken in these views, we 
shall hasten to make it known. That, how¬ 
ever, the similarity between the two grains 
is very close there can be no doubt what¬ 
ever..... 
A few days after writing the above, we se¬ 
lected from our own crop of Black-bearded 
knows very little about it. Then he goes on 
to prove to the audience that he knows a good 
deal about it—from which we have a right to 
conclude that Prof. Beal knows very little 
about what he does know. We make a few 
brief extracts: 
Indian com is the most beautiful crop raised 
on the farm, whether we consider the grain 
as shelled and ready to feed or to market, 
the white or golden ears as they fill the farm¬ 
er’s crib, or the majestic sub-tropical stalks 
as they grow in their leafy luxuriance during 
the heat of Summer. From the blade to the 
full corn in the ear it is full of mystery, 
beauty, and promise. In the words of C. A. 
Green, “ The corn-field is grand to look upon 
in its glory in August. It resembles an army 
of tasseled knights, decorated gracefully with 
ribbons, each member of which sports a silk 
pocket handkerchief.” * * * * The plant* 
of the grass family are of more value to man 
and his domestic animals than all other plants 
combined. Of all the cereals, wheat is the 
most valuable for food, rice feeds the most 
people, while on account of the ease with 
which it can be raised Lukian corn supplies 
the greatest number of wants. Our lands of 
corn are very numerous and variable, but they 
are, most likely, all derived from one species. 
* * * * The tallest full-grown stalk of 
corn which I have seen grown in Michigan 
was fourteen-and-a-half feet high. The seed 
came from Missouri and was planted in 1880 
by William Gladden, of Lansing. Mr. C. L. 
Flint, Secretary of the Board of Agriculture 
in Massachusetts, says that a stalk in Eastern 
Tennessee measured twenty-two feet and 
three inches in length. One at the Centennial 
Exposition, from Kansas, was said to be seven¬ 
teen feet high. * * * * The largest ear 
in the museum of the Agricultural College 
has eleven-and-a-half inches of corn, is three 
inches in diameter at the base, two-and-a-half 
inches near the middle, two-and-one-fourth 
inches near the top. There are twenty rows 
of corn, with about sixty kernels in each row 
The ear was raised on Long Island on the Ex¬ 
perimental Farm of the Rural New-Yorker, 
and is a yellow dent, known as the Chester 
County, Pa., Mammoth. * * * * From 
the point of view of chemical composition 
there are, broadly speaking, two kinds of In¬ 
dian corn, the common and the sweet. The 
greater richness of sweet corn in albumenoids 
and fat is very decided, and indicates a 
higher nutritive value than that of common 
corn. Sweet com in all the analyses contains 
more ash, more fat, and less carbo-hydrates 
than common corn. Flint and dent corns have, 
in the gross average, practically the same com¬ 
position, as will be seen from the comparison 
of 31 flints and 19 dents. Western corn has 
also, in the gross average, about the same nu¬ 
tritive value as Eastern corn. The ripe grain 
as a crop contains absolutely more of every 
ingredient than the unripe. * * * * The 
extremes of time required for growing corn 
to maturity, so far as I know, are 70 and 
200 days. The small yellow pop corn, which 
grows from two to two-and-a-half feet high, 
often ripens in 20 days, and perhaps less, 
white in the Southern States corn often re¬ 
quires 200 days for growth and maturing. 
Climate has a wonderful effect on com. Prof. 
Shelton, of Kansas Agricultural College, 
sends com to the Michigan Agricultural Col¬ 
lege which has been raised there for three 
years. It went to Kansas as King Phillip, it 
comes back well marked with dent. He says 
it is the effect of the climate and is not due 
to crossing with dent corn. * * * * * 
Every one undertaking to improve corn should 
study the best that has been written on the 
subject, have his ideal of perfection, and then 
strive to reach it. In some one or more de¬ 
partments of agriculture every farmer should 
strive to excel. The improvement of some 
variety of corn has scarcely begun to attract 
the attention which its importance demands. 
Some results are quickly reached and the sub¬ 
ject grows in interest with study. * * * 
The construction of silos in which to keep 
ensilage till needed for Winter use is receiving 
much attention, and we shall very likely 
soon know whether or not it is a profitable 
way to keep fodder. If we only wait a little, 
the book farmers or fancy farmers too often 
sneered at will soon solve this important ques¬ 
tion without any expense to the practical 
farmer who does not believe in wasting time 
and labor on experiments. 
Figs in Maine. —Our bright young contem¬ 
porary, The Home Farm, of Augusta, Maine, 
says that figs grown in Maine were among the 
curiosities shown at the rece»t exhibition of 
the State Fomological Society. They were 
grown by Mr. F. O. Frost of Monmouth, who 
called them Brown Turkey Figs. They were 
grown on trees set in the garden, the trees be¬ 
ing given the same care that one would give 
apple or pear trees. They yield two crops a 
year; and Mr. Frost showed specimens of both 
■ Tops—one fully ripe and one about a quarter 
grown. The trees are taken up in the Fall and 
the dirt shaken off, when they are placed in 
he cellar and receive no care till again set in 
the ground in Spring. 
Mr. C. M. Hovey, writing of the maples in 
the Mass. Ploughman, cannot omit the men¬ 
tion of one called Wier’s Cut-leaved, ati acci¬ 
dental variety of the White Maple, found by 
Mr. Weir of Illinois, among his seedlings. It 
has a slender, drooping habit, and the leaves 
