- 
f mv. \? 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
325 
is springing up about this forage plant. Sorg¬ 
hum is put at 114. Honey at 107. ami Poaches 
at 132. The price of Flour in the prominent 
cities ranges from £5 to $0. Wheat from £1 to 
§1 50. Green Apples from 20 cents to £2 per 
bushel. Beef from 4 to 12 ’<' cents per ponntl. 
Hay averages 40 to 50 cents per 100 pounds 
Shingles average $3. Wilmington is the highest 
market reported. 
To show you that we are becoming tropical, 1 
will Htate that a man in Rowan county lias raised 
a water-melon that ripened well from seed taken 
from one produced this year. The bog cholera 
has been a great scourge in the State this year. 
Some of tite farmers connect that disease in the 
hogs with diphtheria among people. This latter 
has swept away a vast number of children in 
different parts of the State for a few months 
past. It bas baffled the skill of the physicians. 
A prominent doctor of fine character in Wilming¬ 
ton has just published tlio following as nearly an 
unfailing remedy. 1 give it for the benefit of 
your readers. 
Foil Difththekia put half a teaspoonful of 
the juice of the common poke-root in a tumbler 
of water, and give, in severe cases, a toaspoon- 
ful from the tumbler every half hour. 
In conclusion I will stato that the second re¬ 
port from the Fertilizer Control Station, con¬ 
nected with this University, shows that the en¬ 
terprise has already wrought quito a profitable 
change for our farmers. The fertilizers show a 
much better analysis. 
University of North Carolina. 
-- ♦♦♦ - — 
FRUIT CULTURE IN ALABAMA. 
Fhom a three years’ experience and observa- t 
tion of fruit and its culture in this locality, i 
I consider it a most favorable location for this (. 
business. Fruits of all kinds, except those con¬ 
fined strictly to the tropts, seem horo to roach ' 
great perfection and excellence. I have never 1 
seen finer Apples in the western or eastern l 
States, than somo of the varieties grown here i 
The early summer and fall Apples of the North t 
do well here, but most or tho winter Apples of t 
the North ripen too early, and are fall Apples I 
bore. To overcome this difficulty, wo now havo < 
somo very lino seedlings originating in tho 1 
South, the fruit of which ripens lato, and will I 
keep until April and May. 
Apples are selling bore now at 75 cts. to one 1 
dollar per bushel, but later in tho winter they < 
will sell for *1 50 to *2 00 per bushel. 
Peaches,— More attention is being paid to this 
fruit at the present time, than to all others. It 
is only within the last few years that auy atten¬ 
tion has been paid to tho finer budded and 
grafted varieties. During tho past season, 
some of tho young orchards boro fruit for tho 
first time, and to many of tho old residents, who 
had nevor seen anything hut tho common seed¬ 
ling fruit, it was no small surprise to behold 
Peaches like Stump the World, weighing 12 oz. 
and Mammoth Susquehanna, weighing a pound, 
The truth of it is, Peaches of tho same varie¬ 
ties grow much larger here than farther North. 
The cause of this, I think, ia that tho Poach is 
a native of tho warm climate of Persia aud China. 
Oar mild winters and long summers, give tho 
tree a ohauco to accumulate strength aud prop¬ 
erly mature its fruits in perfection. On tho 
other hand, tho cold winter of tho North, de¬ 
stroys a certain portion of the vitality of the 
tree, and it stands to reason that a tree thus 
partially injured, cannot mature Us fruit so per¬ 
fectly. Onr spring was unusually late, yet tho 
Early Amsden was ripe tho lOlh. of Juno, and the 
Alexander, Beatrice, and Louise, about one 
week later 
We have tho advantage over the Northern 
Peach localities, in having two ways io market 
our fruit. June and Tuly Peaches we ship 
North. About the lHt of August when the 
Northern Poaches come into market, we send 
our August and September Poaches South, to 
Montgomery, New Orleans, Mobile, Pensacola 
and other points. Tills fruit does not succeed 
as well there : they havo a few early Peaches, 
and then tho hot, dry weather comes, and (hey 
are as destitute oT Peaches in August aud Sep¬ 
tember, as tho North is in June and July. 
This gives our fruit-growers an advantage 
that but very few localities have—a four months’ 
sale of Peaches into markets not glutted. This, 
however, is an advantage, that but a few appre¬ 
ciate hero, but some of tlie intelligent and 
thinking ones begin to see it. Our flue Peaches 
sell in tho Northern cities at £U> per bushel, 
and tiiose in July at £0. Our Southern market 
for the late crop is almost us good. The Peach 
tree has no diseases, and tho curcuilo is not 
known, tho borer is the only enemy to this deli¬ 
cious fruit here. 
Tun 1’eaii This fruit succeeds hero admira¬ 
bly and some think it the most profitable of all 
fruits, but tho profits have not been fully tested 
as yet. Near Mobile they arc raised in largo 
quantities, and, it is raid, make very profitable 
returns. This tree hex'e seems to be free from 
.blight and disease. 
PliUMS and Cherries.— The Wild-goose and 
other native Plums of the South do finely. We 
are testing tho finer sorts, and we cannot speak 
understandingly, of them at present. We know 
no reason, however, why they will not do well. 
Gru>ks.—T he Concord, Hartford, Ivo’s, 
Martha, Delaware, and tho Scupperoong have 
all been tested aud do finely here. Tho Scup- 
pernoug is one of tho institutions of the South. 
It is a white Grape, orginally from North Caro¬ 
lina. By sowing tho seed • yon produce tho 
Southern Muscadine which fact shows that 
itis a seedling of that Grape, it does not grow 
m bunches, but one to three in a place. It is 
very ssveet, juicy, and an enonnouK bearer, as 
the vino becomes old. A gentleman near here 
had over 300 bushels oti 72 vines; of tlieso one 
older than the rest produced 15 bush. It makes 
very fine wine ; and sells readily at from two 
to four dollars per gallon. One bushel of grapes 
makes about 3’J gallons of Wine, Tho vinos 
are planted 30 to 10 feet apart, and arc sup¬ 
ported by posts, set six feet out of tho ground, 
with wire or pole on top, forming an arbor. No 
pruning is required. It will not do to prune 
any Grape vine here as severely as they do North; 
doing so seems to retard or stuut the growth 
of the vine. 
Fios do well on tho mountains, making a 
sure and abundant crop every year. The past 
summer I was visiting a friend, a few miles 
from this city, who called my attention to two 
trees from which ho assured mo there had been 
gathered fifteen bushels of Figs, and the trees 
seemed to bo full of fruit at tho time. The Fig is 
peculiar, in that it has no perceivable blossom. 
It is inclosed in a cellular tissue, not noticeable 
to the general observer. The trees are very 
prolific, commence bearing very young, aud 
grow and ripen two crops a year. 
Strawberries are a sure crop every season. 
They commence ripening tho last of April, 
before tho warm and dry weather, tho ground 
being still moist and cool. Tho price in this 
market is 25 cts. per quart, and they bring to 
the shipper in Cmcinnatti and other Northern 
markets, 40 cts. per quart. Sometimes tho first 
l'ew cases sent up bring 80 cts. pei quart. Planted 
out in tho fall they produce about half a crop 
tho first season. Black Cap Raspberries do 
finely. Red do not succeed. Blackberries grow 
wild in such profusion and excellence that they 
havo not been cultivated. Some Gooseberries 
do well. For Currants, tho climate is too hot. 
Wo have good railroad cummunieation. Two 
through lines cross at this place. Any ono 
desiring a mild and healthy climate, would, 1 
thiuk, find this a desirablo place for a home. 
C. II. Reed. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Crawford Co.. Iowa. 
Cnora hero are generally large; wheat aver¬ 
ages 20 bushels to the acre, price 85 to 90 cents 
per bushel. Oats and eorn 15 cents ; potatoes 
35 cents ; hogs, live, 1 cents per pound; hay $4 
per ton. Improved farms can be bought from 
£15 to £30 per acre ; raw prairie, for from $5 to 
£15 per acre. This is a rolling prairie and well 
watered, plenty of land for sale; a good country 
for sheep. There are about 3,000 sheep kept in 
this county I am keeping a few sheep myself. 
Send us out the young folks from your State to 
improve this country. J. I’. Baldwin. 
Owensroro, Ky., Nov. 3. 
We havo bad fine weather this fall, a little dry 
previous to first Inst, when we had a good rain. 
Tbo first biting frost oarne last night. Tho 
Apple crop of this county is immense, thousands 
of bushels have rotted on the ground, thousands 
have boon sold at the distillery at 12)^ cents per 
bushel and thousands havo been picked for 
winter. J. w. s. 
Fort Collins, Col., Nov. 1,187T. 
I have been obliged to come here for relief 
from asthma. My case was very severe of over 
30 years standing aud my relief is complete. 
Haim liusImiiDm. 
<3rv fc>/ 
THE SOILING QUESTION. 
BV .1. F. K. 
EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND. 
» 
The Eastern shore of Maryland of to-day, in 
respect to agricultural thrift aud enterprise, pre¬ 
sents au appearance, diametrically opposite to 
what it was only ten years back. The emanci¬ 
pation of tho slaves, coupled with tho influx of 
emigrants from every State in the East, North 
and Western part of the Union? has revolution¬ 
ized nearly everything hero, and inspired the 
owners of real estate with a commendable zeal 
in tho improvement of lands and surroundings. 
The change in this Peninsula is uo less striking 
in agricultural or fanning operations, than in 
relation to fruit-growing. Special attention, 
much study, great care, and considerable capital 
are expended in tho cuilurj of the Peach. In 
fact, a few years back, tho indications were that 
tbo entire Peninsula would be converted into a 
colossal peach orchard ; and up the fall of 1875, 
i not infrequently met with intelligent and 
well-informed residents who enthusiastically 
predicted such aa tho ultimate destiny for this 
land HO richly favored by nature and circum¬ 
stances, for not only growing tho fruit to tho 
very highest standard of perfection, but also for 
marketing the same. Alas! alas!! a» Scotland’s 
great bard put it “ Tho best-laid plans of mice 
and men,'’ etc., the general crop of 1875 clearly 
demonstrated that the United States is capable 
of producing more Peaches—as woll aa grain— 
than the people can consume—at least more 
than ia profitable in tbo narrowest tense to the 
producer. 
In alluding to tho fruit interests of this sec¬ 
tion, I would respectfully remind the reader, 
that while Peaches are foremost in point of 
money value, they are not the only fruit that 
can bo perfectly and profitably grown here. 
Apples, Pears, Cherries and other fruits grow 
nearly as well aa Peaches; but the greater 
expense attending tho establishment of orchards 
of these fruits and tho greatly lengthened time 
to wait for a return on tho investment, havo 
tended to keep them, to a great extent, in the 
back-ground; and then, too, the West, North 
and East can all. grow tho latter with greater 
success than Peaches can bo grown by them. 
Small fruits, of course, are grown everywhere, 
more or less, and I will say nothing of them for 
the present, but will likely refer to them at some 
future time. J- W. Kerr. 
Caroliuo Co., Md. 
This subject is being brought before the poo- R 
pi© by various means, rue* as newspaper articles, „ 
discussions at Clubs, Grange-meetings, oto. | 
This, of course, is as it should bo, and wo have l! 
no fault to find when tho talkers and writers ‘ v 
know whereof they speak : but when ugrioultu- s 
nil (?) newspapers treat tbo matter in the hull- t 
crons mariner that some of them do it is plainly 
a matter of somo concern to the practical far- 
mcr w ho has worked too hard for Ins few dollars ] 
to spend them in experimenting. Especially is r 
this true with reference to the inexperienced 1 
farmer, or one whoso former life has been such ] 
that his opportunities for observation havo been j 
somewhat limited. Should tho theories advanced < 
by certaiu agricultural papers bo followed out, ' 
with reference to this matter of soiling, it would j 
bo but a little while beforo farmers, (those, Of 
course, who follow those teachings), would bo in ! 
a fit condition to “ sell out and go West.” Occa¬ 
sionally, however, therein something practical 
which goes the rounds of the press. Then there 
is untold good to follow ; and as we have in mind 
a farmer who has followed this system of feeding 
successfully for about ten years, wo will give his 
■modus opiirandi in as few words as possible. 
In tho early part of September a piece of win¬ 
ter-rye is sown, largo enough to furnish at least 
a month’s supply of food. This will bo ready to 
Ollt the latter part of April or by the beginning 
of May. As scion as the ground is in a fit con¬ 
dition to cultivate In the spring, a piece of gold¬ 
en millet is sowed. This will be in readiness to 
cut soon after tbo middle of May. After the 
golden, a piece of Hungarian is sowed, aud by 
the time tho first crop of ryo ia cut, tho land is 
sown to some later variety of millet. Ab a 
change, Juno clover works in very nicely; but a 
small quantity, however, aa the same amount of 
ground will yield much more if sown to some¬ 
thing else, sowed corn - for instance. 
When one crop is cut, the land is plowed at 
once and sowed with some other forage plant. 
Tho following would bo about the formula: In 
the spring, say about the 10th of April, a place 
of the goldeu millet, large enough for three 
weeks’ feeding, is sowed, and in about throe 
weeks thereafter, another piece, large enough 
for two weeks’ feed. By this time, tho crop of 
w inter-rye is out of tbo way, and one-half the 
land is put to sowed corn, and tho rest to oats; 
then follows the first piece of millet, and after 
tho crop is all fed off, tho land is put to sowed 
corn. The second piece, winch was sowed to 
millet, will now’ bo divested of its crop, and is at 
one© put to some quick-growing plant. Thus 
the rotation is kept up until quite lute in the 
fall, and ail that is left, just before the early 
frosts, is carefully gathered and put into the 
bam for winter use. But little hay is raised, 
with the exception of clover. Tho forage plants 
are never allowed to go to seed, unless it may be 
a small corner for Ibo purpose of seeding. The 
land is thus kept constantly railing a crop, being 
idle only a short time du.iug the winter. The 
farm from which these observations arc taken 
contains precisely ono hundred aud five acres. 
Kept upon it are seventy-five cows, four horses, 
ten sheep and some few head of other stock. 
The milk L carried by rail fifty-five miles to the 
, oily and sold. There are about four acres to 
small fruits, just enough to furnish work for tho 
men at odd spells. 
Whatever difference of opiuion may exist with 
reference to this matter, it is plain that it has 
many advantages. As regards the economy of 
feed and land, this farm, under any other sys¬ 
tem of feeding, would not support ODO half tho 
amount of stock ; moreover, these cows havo 
practically demonstrated, to the satisfaction of 
their owner and his neighbors, that tho yield of 
milk Is much larger than when they arc permit¬ 
ted to roam over a great amount, of territory. 
The question mainly reals upon the cost of labor 
and land ; and the main idea is whether it is re¬ 
munerative)—whether tlie many advantages aro 
sufficient to counterbalance the extra expouso of 
gettiug the feed to the cows. 
There aro, in all dai-y sections, thousands of 
acres of old worn-out pasture binds, which are 
nearly worthless; at least the amount of land re¬ 
quired to keep a cow, and poorly at that, makes 
thorn iu many instances more than worthless. 
No fanner can save money at this rate, and the 
cows aro couipellod to labor very hard for a 
scanty subsistence. 
But as this letter has already covered too much 
space, directions for making the change, and 
how to make these old pastures per forin their 
part towards it shall be tho subject matter of a 
subsequent letter. 
-- 
COMFORT IN FIGURES. 
A SMALL DAIRY ACCOUNT. 
It is often urged that success in the dairy, as 
on the farm, depends greatly on figures and tho 
accuracy with which the accounts for tho year 
are kept. And it is an undoubted truism that 
only ho who knows his outlay, can rightly con¬ 
tract bis expenses if too large, or expand them 
if profitable results accrue from them It, is only 
that dairyrnii.li who controls and exactly knows 
the return his investment secures, who can 
truthfully bo said to manage his bu- iness. To 
guess at the result, leads only to con fusion and 
uncertainty, while to go on enlarging an outlay 
because the first experiment proved satisfactory, 
is to leave out of sight the fact that there is a 
certain point at which to atop—p issing beyond 
which, the apparent profits are only delusive, 
and instead of being real, often represent an ac¬ 
tual loss. 
This applies not only to feeding aud earing for 
animals, but also to growing crops for them 
and, in fact, to every department of the dairy. 
Bulk does not always prove the profit of a result. 
The bulk may roilly contain little of value or 
hold If, in such undue proportion to that which 
is useless, its t.n materially reduce its woith or 
destroy it entirely. Moreover, its cost may bo 
proportionately greater than that of a more con¬ 
centrated produce, and vet. as in earn of a crop, 
it may exhaust the anil disproportionately more 
limn the latter, requiring more subsequent fer¬ 
tilizing or care, anil thus entailing greater ox- 
pen. e. Tho man who lo ops a true account, alone, 
Knows whether this is the case or not. 
But the object of this article is move to de¬ 
monstrate the comfort and assurance auch fig¬ 
ures give, rather than their necessity. My ex¬ 
perience this Tear in my small dairy, is remark¬ 
ably illustrative of this truth, at least, to me. I 
have four fiend three cows and a heifer. I 
have been milking two cows just one year, 
and tlie third has disappointed mo, having 
remained dry ever since spring I bought her 
to repine© on© X was obliged to fatten at a. loss 
, of nearly £18— and shortly after her purchase 
, she went dry. The cow 1 fattened I dried iu the 
fall of 1876, and killed just, hoforo spring. Tho 
two cows 1 milked, consequently had, all the 
' year, to support a dry ono and a heifer, besides 
• fattening two calves. And to crown all. my past- 
, ore proved a failure, aud I hud to feed oil tho 
year through. When 1 looked hack over this 
> picture, I could hut shake my head and doubt. 
f I had, however, kept a close watch upon the ac- 
■i count of outlay aud income, and wlem 1 found 
t profit, I increased it if ponriblo; while my ex¬ 
penses were kept at the minimum. I knew, day 
by day, that 1 was not. losing, yet tho aggregate 
f exceeded rny expectations. 
Hi re is the account. I iiavu my cows coine-in 
in tho fall, behoving thU the most profitable, 
i making butler wmio the highest prices rule. 
The accounts run from Oct. 15, 187G, to Oct. 15, 
• 1877: 
u Or. 
Ity 57S" i 11)H. of butler.>£172 28 
'* i-ja ipiarta of milk. 5 ms. daily at 8c. 1 aj UO 
“ II loads manure, at .'Rt ... Moo 
24 
2 calves. 
Total.$35*0 15 
Dr. 
To hay. $27 SO 
*• ntuYOF.,, .. JS0 
•• Corn, oats (ground), and brim. w aa 
“ Pasture. 46 60 
“ Loss on salu of fat cow. S no 
“ Labor. 1 00 
Total... $108 34 
Net profit. 221 81 
Notice that I allow for the family, five quarts 
daily. Wens© more limn this, but if I bad to 
buy, I think 1 could reduce our needs to that 
amount. Eight Cent-is what is charged hero, 
the year through. The butter made trorn Hvo 
cows more than kept the four, though the, yield 
is not great j and butter win unui-nally low ibis 
year. I credlti d llie ainouni made week I y week 
at the current price litre. This is nolislnuated. 
But even this dots not cov< r the total piottt, 
though 1 MMiee.lv know ho v to iidju, t the value 
of Uio Urge amount of .1, uu-miik. Tins was 
made into oheut-e (consumed i.y the family), 
likewise Used iu making puddings m il m her des¬ 
serts. Moreover, I have three line hogs raised 
on it and tho r< tu-o <d the place. hut -.u tough I 
ca not just now c tlcnlaie the value, I < an seo it, 
and shall know it when tho end is l eached. 
If this is not couil'urllng as I ho result of a pot r 
year, l aluill m ver bo comforted; ami had I not 
Uio account t n rely on, 1 should ototi.iuly feel 
di'C'dii age d Thu profit is 103 percent on the 
cat ical invested- m. o. 
