THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
NOV. 24 
feet high by four feet through, and densely 
furnished with parasol-tasseled branehlets ; the 
other is five feet seven inches high hut not such 
a pretty plant as the smaller one. The larger 
specimen is the younger, the smaller one being 
some fifteen years old and one of Vkitcu's 
original importation. 
Mr. Gordon, in the last edition of his “Pine- 
tuin. ’sayH:—“A handsome and very singular 
evergreen tree, from eighty to 120 feet high, 
with a straight stem and horizontal spreading 
branches, and flowering in the spring. It is 
found in the eastern part of the island of Ni- 
phon, upon the mountains of ‘Koja-San,’ in the 
province of ' liii,’ and probably on other of the 
Japan Islands. 
“ The Parasol Fir, according to Mr. Fortune 
( who first sent living plants of it to Mr. Standish 
of the Royal Nursery at UagHhot, in 1861), is a 
largo pyramidal tree with horizontal spreading 
branches, which attains a bight of from 100 to 
ISO feet, and from 10 to 11 feet in circumfer¬ 
ence, three feet from the ground, and nota large 
bush or small tree from twelve to fifteen feet 
high, as originally stated by Dr. -Siebold, in his 
“ Flora Japoniea.” The Japanese, however, 
have several varieties, among which some are 
dwarf hushes, others beautifully variegated, and 
others with leaves varying from two to four 
inches or more in length, and two lines broad ; 
but all linear, a little sickle-shaped, blunt, or 
slightly notched »t the points, leathery, double- 
ribbed, w ith a shallow channel running through 
them, and all spreading out horizontally like the 
ribs of a parasol, and so closely clustered alter¬ 
nately as to look as if they stood in whorls of 
from thirty to forty together at the ends of all 
the branehlets. 
“ Mr. Fortune says they are of a deep-green 
color, while, according to Dr. Bikbold, they 
must bo of a yollowisli-greon, and remain on the 
tree for about three years, by which time each 
branch has from one to three parasols on it, ac¬ 
cording to its age; hut in the fourth year they 
fall off. The cones are elliptic or cylindrical, 
obtuse at Che cuds, and from two and a half to 
three inches long, and one inch and a half in di¬ 
ameter, and not unlike those of Finns Ccuibra, 
but longer, and requiring two years to ripen. The 
seed leaves are in twos, and very similar to those 
of the common Yew. 
“Dr. Biebold considers the Parasol Fir the 
finest conifer of Japan, and one which presents 
an appearance as strange as elegant, in conse¬ 
quence of its innumerable ramifications, which 
always end in a parasol-like tuft of leaves. Dr. 
Lind lev says t he Sciadopitys is nearly related 
to the Genus Wellingtouia, a statement which, 
from all nppearanecss, seems very questionable. 
“Its Japanese names are * Koja-Maki,’(the 
wild or Mount Kujis&u Maki), and ■ Inu-Maki’ 
(the spurious or false Maki;) while those of the 
Chinese are * Kiu-sung-Maki' (the pale yellow 1 
Maki), and ' Kin-sjo’ (common yellow) on ac- ' 
count of the leaves being of a pale or yellowish- ’ 
green color when young. I 
“ It is quite hardy, aud has several varieties, 1 
besides the following one Sciadopitys verticil- * 
lata variegata. Fortune, the Variegated Parasol 1 
Fir. This variety differs in having some of its 1 
leaves of a pale-yellow color, inerruixed in the c 
parasol-like whorls. \ 
“ If forms a striking object, and is much grown c 
in the gardens belonging to the wealthy Japan- a 
eso, especially in the eastern part of the island 1 
of Nippon, where it i.-i also much planted around ^ 
temples and other places of woiehip. Mr. For- v 
tune first sent it to the Itoyal Nursery at Bag- v 
shot in 1861, from the neighborhood of Yeddo, B 
in Japan. a 
vicinity, that many farmers leave a large portion 
of their manure in the barn-yard during the 
summer and draw it out and spread it on the 
surface of the fields where they intend to plant 
the next year. They always have good corn. 
Others loave the manure in the yard during the 
summer and in the fall draw it out into the fields 
they intend to cultivate and put it into large 
heaps of several loads, where it remains through 
the winter. In the spring they spread it upon 
the surface of the newly-plowed field and harrow 
it in. They always have good corn. Their theory 
is that the manure should be near the surface 
where the crop can have the benefit of it as early 
in the season as possible. The farmers who 
spread their manure on the green-sward, argue 
that the manure under this system becomes 
thoroughly incorjiorated in the soil and ready to 
furnish plant food as soon as the crop requires it 
by the absorption of the earth and the washing 
into the ground brought about by the action of 
the rains and snows and freezing. Both are right. 
The Hysteni of piling into heaps, however, doub¬ 
les the labor of applying manure and. moreover, 
the spreading must bo done at the season when 
time presses. 
There is also more evaporat ion of ammonia in 
the pile than when the manure is spread upon 
the ground. Contact with the ground will arrest 
evaporation, as the earth is a natural absorbent. 
In a pile, this contact cannot take place, except 
to a small extent, while the surface exposed to 
evaporation is large. Where manure is applied 
in a liquid form, there is the promptest effect; 
for it. is then in the most natural condition to 
feed the plaut. Spreading manure on the green¬ 
sward in the fall, brings it the nearest to the 
liquid form, as the strength of the manure is 
undoubtedly washed into the earth and absorbed 
by it, ready to enter again into solution with the 
spring rains and bo taken up by the rootlets. 
Being thus washed into the soil, it is not turned 
under and away from the roots of the young 
plants, hut is disseminated all through the fur¬ 
row and is present everywhere to feed the plants. 
With the manuring upon the plowed surface, 
there must bo rains subsequent to spring to 
curry it downwards to the growing crop; and in 
the absence of those timely rains, the plants must 
lose much of the benefit they would otherwise 
have derived from it. We are now speaking of 
woll-rotted manure spread upon the surface; 
when it is not well rotted, the absence of the 
rains would make it all Ihe worse, and this was 
the trouble with our field of corn. The earlier 
in the fall the manure is spread upon the sur-" 
face the better, as the increased growth of grass 
which it causes is also an excellent fertilizer. 
tire cost of the draining.” No manure was used, 
nor will any be necessary for years, as the de¬ 
caying bogs and muck will furnish plant-food 
for a number of crops. 
The girl found a ben among the dowers, stone 
blind. Her head was so swollen that her eyes 
were entirely buried up, and a more distressed- 
looking object could hardly be imagined. It was 
a case of aggravated roup. The hen was put 
into a warm coop aud her head washed twice 
carefully with alcohol and turpentine—eqnal 
parts—and then everyday afterward bathed with 
oil. Food had to be put into her mouth for sev¬ 
eral days. Almost as soon as treated, the in¬ 
flammation began to subside, and the discharge 
ceased. In less than a week she could see, and 
now she is well! 
We see the Rural, in its liberal Premium List, 
offers the Osborn Sulky Plow as a prize. Esquire 
Davidson has one of these plow’s, and he does 
better work with it plowing sod than he can do 
with a steel plow and no sulky attachment. lie 
says he’d rather ride than walk, and all the more 
so if he can do better work when ho rides. The 
draft is less for the horses. 
Onr Northern Spy and Greening apples arc 
rotting badly. Iu sorting over seven barrels, 
there was one barrel of decayed or specked aft- 
plea. The fact is, the season was so very early 
that these winter varieties arc, this year, fall 
apples, as they always are in the South. The 
Baldwins are keeping better. Tough, thick- 
skinned apples always keep best. There is so 
much juice in the Spys and Greeniugs, and they 
have such tender Hkins, that they will not keep 
ho well, and aro ranch more liable to have bad 
spots ou them. Next year, we shall replenish 
the old orchard with nothing but Baldwins. Be¬ 
sides being excellent keeperH, they sell well, aud 
one reason for this is because of their good keep¬ 
ing qualities. 
Baby is just a year old to-day. She has eaten 
her first breakfast this morning. It was oat¬ 
meal and milk. The doctor sayB this is the best 
baby’s food. She seemed to enjoy it, although 
she made somo wry faces. She weighs twenty- 
three pounds, and has never been sick a minute. 
As the sun is to the earth, shedding brightness 
and joy, so is our first-boni to us. 
-- 
WESTERN FARM TOPICS. 
BY PROFESSOR E. M. SHELTON. 
Jfatrn ®ojjirs, 
JOTTINGS AT KIRBY HOMESTEAD. 
BY COL. F. D. CURTIS. 
\\ hen to apply manure with the most advan¬ 
tage to the land, is a question which has often 
been discussed. The variations in soil, climate, 
temperature, and condition of the manure aro 
so great that no one rule will ever apply. Man¬ 
ure must he decomposed iu order to furnish 
plant-food. The process of decomposition is a 
benefit as far us it goes, as where there is active 
fermentation tho soil is warmed and rendered 
more permeable for light, air, and water. Dry 
weather arrests decomposition, and so does an 
excess of wet. These conditions have a great 
deal to do with the actual effects of manure, aud 
very often change the expectation of the farmer. 
Last fall, a few loads of manure were spread 
upon a meadow, aud this spring the entire field 
was plowed and planted with com. A heavy 
coat of niauuro was spread on the plowed sur¬ 
face. The dry weather prevented the rotting of 
this manure, and the crop received very little 
benefit from it. On the spots where the manure 
was spread last fall, the corn was much better. 
This fact has so often been demonstrated in this 
i’ The crown have had their autumnal council. 
0 There were more than a thousand of them down 
v on our meadow tho other day. They cawed and 
. cawed all the afternoon. What were they Ray- 
_ ing ? We havo often wondered over these crow 
gaiborings. Are they conventions where crow 
matters aro discussed and settled ? Every year 
’ they come together from miles around and 
j fly about and walk around and talk. There 
, must havo been, iu our meadow, all tho 
, crows that live within twenty miles. Who in¬ 
vited them, and how did they all know where our 
, meadow was '< Wo believe they meet to make 
arrangements where to eaiigrato~-to divide up 
tho territory so as not all to go to one place or 
too near together. The most of them go south¬ 
ward aud sottle along the seashore ami the bays 
which putiu from the ocean. Here they find 
shelter iu the thick cedars which lino the banks, 
and plenty of food in the muscles and other shell¬ 
fish which the winter storms bring”to tho I each. 
A few crows remain with ns all winter. There 
used to he a crow"which came back to our woods 
each summer. We knew him by his peculiar 
ciy, ts ho had doubtless been hurt some time, 
aud his voice was different from those of the 
others. We have missed him for several years. 
Mr. Callaghan has as fine a bin of corn as we 
ever saw. It is the small Dutton variety, the 
ears mostly ten and twelve-rowed, with small 
kernels. Tho only objection to this corn is the 
closeness with which ihe kernels aro set to the 
cob, and on this account, when fed iu the ear to 
pigs, they cannot shell it readily, and it is apt to 
make their teeth sore. Fowls cau scarcely pick 
the kernels from the cob. It is a very heavy 
sort; being full of oil and being early, it is an 
excellent kind for this high latitude. Mr. Cax- 
laouan thinks it is the best. Whore did this 
splendid corn grow? Ou ground where, ever 
since tho country was cleared up. tho frogs Lave 
had their home aud, here and there, bunches of 
bog-grass have furnished coarse aud scanty feed 
to cattle venturesome enough to go after it. Tile 
did it. A fine stream now flows from under¬ 
neath the corn-field. This proves that wet land, 
or even a swamp, will grow corn if thoroughly 
drained. How many flag-holes aud miry places : 
there are which, by ditching, cau be made good < 
corn ground or grass land. “ This first crop of ■ 
corn,” Mr. Callaghan says, “ will pay the en- i 
To enter fully into the spirit of Western Agri¬ 
culture, to appreciate its problems, and to judge 
fairly of its practices, involves more than a su- 
i perficial knowledge of tho conditions by which 
[ it is surrounded. These conditions are the ulti¬ 
mate facta out of which has grown, through 
greater or less experience, that system—or lack 
or system—which we call Western farming. 
The Eastern farmer who sees for the first 
time tho farming of the prairies, is apt to pro¬ 
pound to himself some such conundrum as this ; 
“If such shiftlesB practices as these give fair 
crops, what might not be accomplished by a care¬ 
ful system of farming, by a rotation of crops 
and greater economy in harvesting ?” I do not 
w ish to be understood as asserting that the rude 
| methods in vogue in the West, are not suscepti¬ 
ble of improvement, but I will sav, at tho risk of 
being accused of writing 
A PLEA FOR BAD FARMING. 
that any attempt to put in practice, in the 
West the elaborate system of Old and New Eng¬ 
land, would result in an expensive failure, be¬ 
cause the principal object of t-neb system is to 
maintain or increase the fertility of the soil. 
Now, with tis, fertile soil is the cheapest thing 
wo have, litre are millions of acres of almost 
boundless fertility to be had at prices varying 
from the homesteader’s entry fee, to ten or at 
the outside, fittcen de-liars per acre. To ask 
the Western farmer, under these circumstances, 
to adopt an expensive system of farming would 
show almost as much wisdom, as to advise the 
owner of a New Hampshire farm, to carefully 
preserve in sheds erected for the purpose, the all 
prevailing holders of his hillsides, because they 
are vahialde in New York and Boston for build¬ 
ing purposes. 
There is, after all, a deal of method in the 
madness of Western farming, and I confess to 
no little respect for it. Not long ago I rode 
through a 2,500 acre corn-field which is certain 
to yield fifty-five bushels per acre. The entire 
labor of this field was performed by hired men, 
aud the owner assures me that th in great crop 
had cost him only the labor of one man and 
team for each eighty acres thereof. This field 
has doubtless before this been in part “ hogged- 
off,” another large part has been husked by a 
herd of long-horns, aud while, by these rude 
methods, there will have been wasted a good - 
deal of corn and a wilderness of fodder, labor, 
which is of much greater value thau either, will : 
not have been thrown away. i 
1, This cheapness of land and its immediate pro¬ 
s' ducts and the high price of labor lie at the foun- 
d dation of well-nigh all of our BO-called Western 
“institutions;" they are in good part the cause 
of our high taxes, of a rato of interest varying 
,e from fifteen per cent per annum, to two per 
cent, per month, and they even give a flavoring 
l* to our politics. 
>« Western farmers have long since been the re- 
it cipients of well meant advice and criticism 
0 from agricultural writers and scientific gentle- 
men. To this few objections can he urged, but 
h for the benefit of the writers themselves I would 
r * s ay that if those writings did not bo often be* 
l * fr a y a gross ignorance of the conditions of 
e Western agriculture, their advice would have 
d much greater weight. Farmers generally, will 
not object to what Mr. Lawes calls “ scientific 
agriculture with a view to profit,” provided the 
> profit end is kept foremost, and not allowed to 
6 lose itself in a maze of theories and abstract ions. 
8 I contend that tho highest practical wisdom is 
J Bbown, not by the farmer who adopts indiserim- 
fJ inately every so-called “improvement" or sug- 
B gestion of science, but by the one who ttaor- 
3 oughly understanding his situation and surround¬ 
ings, changes his practices only to conform to 
changed conditions. It is because of their fail- 
3 ure in this matter that the pioneers of a country 
> are rarely its successful farmers, after its com- 
■ plete settlement. For a like reason it is not 
7 always the most careful Western cultivators who 
I make the mo*t successful Western farmers. 
THE AGRICULTURAL OUTLOOK. 
Since October 2nd, all farm operations have 
’ been greatly hindered, if not brought to a com¬ 
plete stand-still by the overwhelming rains of 
' this period. On ihe morning of October 3d, a 
little more than three and three-quarter inches of 
ruin fell within five hours, and since that time 
hardly three consecutive days have passed with¬ 
out rain. All told, 07-100 inches of rain have 
fallen at this station during the month of Oc¬ 
tober, according to the meteorological records 
of the Agricultural College. I mention these 
facts for the benefit of those who never think 
of Kansas except as a country alternately 
scorched with droughts, or " gnawed down to 
the limestone by grasshoppers.” As a result of 
this down-pour, corn-picking has scarcely been 
begun, and all feeding operations are far behind 
the season. Another effect of tho abundant 
rains, has been to beat down and into the ground, 
a great deal of tho standing Corn, and this, by 
absorbing lurge quantities of moisture, will in 
many cases be cribbed in bail condition. I no¬ 
tice that the old, shrewd dealers, who rarely 
make mistakes, aro calculating upon this as a 
considerable source of waste. 
As to the quantity of corn, there is but one 
opinion, namely: that both tho acreage and 
yield per acre is the largest ever known iu this 
State. The crop is emphatically a full one iu 
nearly every section of the State. From the day 
the Beed was put in tho ground, the corn plaut 
has never received a check from insects, from 
too little, or too much raiu, or from any canso. 
Considering all accessible facts I regard onehtui- 
dred millions bushels, as a safe es imate for the 
Kansas corn crop of 1877. Up to this writing 
almost nothing of tho new corn crop has reached 
market. Dealers are talking of fifteen cents per 
bushel of 72 to 78 lbs. of ears, as the price, and 
certainly Kansas City markets will not warrant 
a higher figure than this, 1 need hardly say 
that with corn at 15 cents per bushel, hogs 4 to 
4>j cents per lb. and “meaty” steers worth 3 to 
‘6% cents per lb., Kansas just now presents a 
most inviting field to the stock man aud feeder. 
I shall hazard no opinion as to the wheat crop 
of 1878, because whatever may bo its appearance 
now, it is the spring that makes or unmakes this 
crop. To judge from the State papers—all of 
which are received here—an acreage largely in 1 
excess of that sown in 1876 has been 60 wn this 
year, rutting together my own observations 
aud the press opinions, minus certain errors 
having their origin iu the imagination of the 
rural editor, and his disposition to “adver¬ 
tise,” an area of wheat has been sown the pres¬ 
ent fall, fully twenty per cent, greater than ever 
before. Generally, the land was put in good 
condition, and the seed sown early, and as might 
be expected, the present condition of the plant 
is nearly, or quite, all that could he desired. 
State Agr. College, Manhattan, Kas., Nov. 9. 
-•--*-*- 
SOUTH WESTERN WISCONSIN. 
BY S. B. LOOMIS. 
From the Wisconsin River, where it bends 
from its southern direction to the west, to join 
the “Father of Waters” south to tho hue of 
the State is found as rich farming lands as man 
cau wish These are principally prairie, largely 
under-laid with galena; so that above ground 
and below tbo owners are favored. The valley 
of the Wisconsin is poor as are most valleys on 
Western Rivers growing good corn, superb 
melons rotating to rye, aud back again to corn, 
a few farmers testing clover as a renovating 
