JULY 8 
trust he will give us his carelully tried ex¬ 
periments iu tabular form with full explana¬ 
tions. It will give mopleamre, as uo uoubt to 
the readers «ii the Rural New-Yorker, to 
6tudy them in detail aud profit by the lesson 
they leach. 
But he is simply missing bis vocation while 
attempting to run a tot against the German 
tables, wnich are the tint successful effort of 
scientific men to appropriate a rational sys¬ 
tem of cattle feeding, merely because these 
tables need some shgut modification. 
- v ♦ 
OXFORD (OHIu; FARMERS’ CLUB. 
REPORTED FOR THK RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
The subject at the June meeting of the 
Club was " I'reveutaole Losses,” •“House and 
Farm Economics.” The essay by Mrs. L. N. 
Bouham was ou the general topic, and was 
an admirable introduction to the subject. 
Fust subtopic, “Kitcheu Waste,” was 
opened by Mrs. Mortou. Most waste here 
couid be avoided by care, but without this 
flour would be wasted every time bread was 
made; potatoes, by carelessness iu paring; 
laid, Dy taking from the center of the can, 
leaving tho uuter part adhering to the siues to 
tojume ranc.d; lood of all kinds by pieparing 
more than is needed by the family, and fuel 
by buildiug a tire hot enough lor baking, w hen 
nothing was needed but to bo-1 the tea kettle. 
These losses, small when taken singly, aggre¬ 
gate quite a sum in a year, aud are largely 
preventable. 
Rev. Duum'ck bad found a coal oil stove a 
great economizer of fuel, aud in hot weather 
it did riot heat the house uncomfortably, aud 
this was corroborated by several ladies of ihe 
Club wno were using stoves of this kind. 
Rev. Miu hell, Mr. McCullough aud Miss M. 
Brow., gave the opinion that tne cost of fuel 
was almost as great iu Summer as iu Wiuter, 
and that there was uo one point in the kitchen 
where so much could be saved, 
W. F. Brown. The greatest waste in the 
kitcheu is iu the time and strength of the 
farmer’s wife, for the want of conveniences. 
The location of a cupboard may make a dif¬ 
ference • miles in her travel tor a year, if 
wood and water are on a level with the stove 
andwiihma few feet, she can do her work 
with comparative ea e, when she would creak 
down if she must carry these up two or time 
Steps. The miserable, steep aud lucon.euieut 
cellar stairs In many houses waste . health and 
strength which was more precious than dol¬ 
lars. 
The second sub-topic, “ Barn Wastes,” was 
opened by Mr. Otsrotc. These come from de* 
fective floors, wnich allow graiu ami grass 
seeds to sift through ; from granaries with 
crack-, and badly constructed mangers which 
adow the slock to get the hay aud fodder un¬ 
der their feet. 
Mr. Bouham aided, waste of time from in- 
conveuieut arrangements (or feeling, so that 
the feed requires a large uuiimut of nandliug; 
of meal iu teediug cat'le by having narrow 
feed boxes; of manure by improper handling, 
either allowing it to fired ang an 1 burn, or else 
to leach aud the soluble part to ruu off. 
Mr. Weluio, e would keep his cuanur*- under 
sheds with the cattle to tramp it to prevent 
this. 
W. F, Brown. One great waste is in allow¬ 
ing our grasses to become overiipe aud thus 
losa a great part of the nutriment. 
The third sub topic, “ Losses in Harvesting, 
Slacking aud Handling Grain and H iy,” was 
opened by Mr. Bonbuni. He enumerated losses 
from going into the held with, machinery in 
poor order, so that high-priced hunds must 
wait; from having too many or too few bind¬ 
ers; troni bad sin. eking of the grain ; from 
allowing it to stand too long in the Held, aud 
from bad stuck bottoms. In thrashing from 
the stack he recommended that the laud be 
scraped and swept where the machine was 
to stand; that a large measuring box be used, 
and a sheet or tarp lulin be spread where there 
was greatest liability of waste. For corn he 
recommended rat-proof cribs, and that in 
huskiug toe hands and teams should be prop¬ 
erly adjusted to each other. 
Mr. McCullough objected to dust in the 
barn, and recommended barracks for storiug 
the graiu, which couUl be utilized also in car¬ 
ing for the straw, thus preventing waste of 
the latter. 
Fourth sub-topic, “ Management of Lands, 
Wood-lots,Corners aud Fence-rows,’’opened by 
B H Brown. The losses were great from 
want of a proper rotation of crops ; from the 
washing away of the sod when care was not 
exercised to prevent it; from tramping lands 
when wet aad during the open weather of 
Spring. In the wood lot there was loss from 
allowing the timber to decay when pa-t its 
prime, and from not clearing up the under¬ 
brush and seeding’to grass. There was great 
loss from small and ill-shaped fields, requiring 
not only additional expense for fences, but in¬ 
volving loss of the use of land and of time 
with the teams; from plowing short rows and 
consequent frequent turning, 
451 
W. F. Brown. Neglecting to drain wet 
spots is one of the heaviest preventable losaes 
of ihe farm. 
Mr. McCullough objected to seeding and 
pasturing the wood lots, as it injured the trees 
aud basteued decay. He was answered by 
Mr. Bonham and B. H. Brown, that i ur lore&ts 
generally were past their prime aud the true 
policy was to make the most of them and 
plant out new groves. 
W. F. Brown stated that from careful ob 
servatiou for twenty years he had found that 
pasturing did not injure locust, which is our 
best timber to plant. 
The fifth sub-topic, “ System in Employing 
Time, Men and Material,’ was opened by VV. 
F, Brown. There were many farmers who 
were slow to change their plaus, and no class 
of business men needed to think and act so 
promptly; every change in the weather calls 
for a change of plaus. '’be fajrn-r must be 
reaily to eoucentra.e his help upon that w hich 
can be done to the best advamage at the time. 
One day’s plowing for wheat in July, just after 
a rain, is often worth more than three days 
in dry weather in r-Cpttmber. He mustadapt 
his tools to the couditiou of soil and the work 
to I e done, and know when to use the roller 
and wheu the harrow. He must choose good 
material for building and repairs. He must 
keep each man at the work for which he is 
be.-t fitted. 
B. H. Brown. And must plan work for w et 
days. 
Mr. Bonham found more difficulty in keep¬ 
ing his men profitably employed on wet days 
than any other, for w hile they could do reg¬ 
ular farm work alone, he must be with them 
to get odd jobs done well. 
Mr. Linlner had the same trouble, and often 
found it p ofiCttbie to give a hand his time for 
a wet day. 
Rev. Dimmick spoke in favor of Germans 
as laborer^, which was agreed to by all who 
had experience with ttieim 
Bres. Mi Gi egor summed up in his usual happy 
style, showing that there was a broad distinc¬ 
tion between economy and meanness, and that 
wise expenditure was true tcouomy. We 
must spend w isely. It is poor economy to use 
ba 1 material There is too much economy in 
the back y>rd on many farms which present 
a fair frent. 
(jLtpcdttUut Ground.* of tto glmt 
- lorta 
The Champion fruits the earliest of any 
kind of quince. One specimen, from J. & G. H 
Hale, of Glastonbury , Conn , was planted three 
years ago. It bore last year several quinces, 
and this year has set more than the size of the 
bush will enable it to carry to maturity. In 
our valley it ripens rather late. 
OtJR experiments, referred to several 
months ago, in grafting the grape-vine have 
all failed. Oar theory was that grafting 
above ground without proiectiun might fie 
tffecioi by splice grabing, provided tne cut 
parts were pressed flrm’y together well 
bouud and then waxed so as to preveut the 
exudation of sap and to exclude the air. 
We have received many inquiries as to the 
Japan Chestnut, elicited by our remarks as to 
the laige size of the nuts and the very early 
bearing of the trees. We have purcha-ed 
three plants in foury ears, all of which are now 
dead, though they received the best of care. 
Whether this is the fault of the nursery man 
of wh m the plants were purchased or of the 
variety itself, cannot be positively states!. 
We do not feel much inclined to try it again. 
Let us now speak of the two varieties of 
strawberries which have been much adver¬ 
tised and talked about, viz., the Bidwell end 
the Manchester, both of which we have tested 
for two years. The Bidwell has disappointed 
us on account oi the great expectations con¬ 
jured up by all that has been said in its favor. 
That it is a remaik ible berry—a p*rlect berry, 
if you please—in other places, we do not ques¬ 
tion. We speak of fruits from our own tests 
as they appear in these grounds. The Bidwell 
cann it be classed among our most vigorous 
kinds, though it seems to eudtire the Winters 
as well as any other. The foliage seems in¬ 
sult! dent, and it does not with us make the 
large stools or throw out the vigorous runners 
rep u-ted in other places. A considerable per¬ 
centage of the berries are irregular iu shape, 
and ih«y do not always rij eu un f irmly. At 
Mr. Koe’s, who has done more to popularize 
the Bidwell than all others put toge'her, and 
in otl e<“ pi tees we have b-ard of, it seems to 
be all that has been claimed for it. I. ripens 
early, is quite firm aud of good quality, 
The Manchester, regarding which we have 
hitherto restrained any positive expression of 
opinion, is one of the most desirable strawber¬ 
ries we have ever raised, aud we have tested 
not less than s{60 different kiuds. • The only 
thing that can be said against it is that it is a 
pistillate, and must be grown near perfect- 
ffjwermg surt-, wnich for many farmers is 
attended wnb trouble or perhaps inconve¬ 
nience. Our plants are exceedingly vigor¬ 
ous und productive. We have just examined 
them and And that each plant, ou an average, 
bears 16 peduncles or flow ering stems,and that 
each flowering stem bears, on an average, id 
berries—giviug 160 berries to a plant. We 
beg to emphasize that we are speaking of 
average plants. On one plant we counted 2d 
peduncles aud 2iU berr.es iu the various 
stages from ripe to just tot. This berry is 
Arm, very uniform as to shape, which is 
rouudish conical;—it ripens in every part aud 
averages ubove medium as long as it remains in 
fruit. Tne quality wheu ripe is good, though, 
like the Wilson, Hi* sour wheu it Arstcolors— 
a cuaracterisiic, it seems, of alLxcellent mar¬ 
ket berries. It ripens with the Bnarpless aud 
after the Bidwell. Ou the grounds of the 
plain, huid-working f .ruler, Mr. Jetss Beatty, 
with whom it ongiuated, it thrives in a light, 
dry, sandy soil. With us it thrives iu a moist 
toil inclming to clay. Several years ago, 
from our own teats, we spoke highly of the 
Sharpless, and soon after iis introduction, of 
the Cumberland Triumph. We have never 
had occasion to regret this, and we have now 
little f.-ar that we snail regret commending 
the Manchester to our ivadeisas the best mar 
ket berry at preseut kuowu. It is now in ihe 
hunds or all nurseryman aud will be offer- d at 
reasonable prices next Spriug, if not this Fall. 
GARDEN TALKS. NO. 7. 
Crops For Late Planting. 
WALDO F. BROWN. 
Early in June the Squire drove up, and 
after the usual salutations said: 
‘•My nephew is thiuaing of planting an 
acre or so of cucumbers for pickles, aud as he 
is very busy he seut me over to ask you some 
questions about them. Is the crop generally 
a p ofuable oue<” 
“1 have found it so almost without excep¬ 
tion, aud as cucumbers may be grown as a sec¬ 
ond crop after eai ly peas, radishes, lettuce or 
spinach, and then a crop of turnips may be 
grown among them, the cost of growing the 
crop is small, and if a market can be found 
for them there are few cr-.ps so largely profit¬ 
able ” 
“When should they be planted?” 
“ Auy time during the latter part of June 
is seasi na'dd, and I have grown fair crops 
planted as late as tt.e middle-of July. I 
rareiy plant before the middle of June on ac¬ 
count of the striped bug, as these pests are 
almost bure to destroy the crops if Ido; but 
usually their season is p issed by that date.” 
“ What land suits them best (” 
“ I can grow the largest crops on black, 
loamy land; but have grown quite profitable 
crops ou heavy clay by giviug extra prepara¬ 
tion.” 
“ What is the b st d stance apart to plant?” 
“1 think four by six feet. I formerly 
planted five by five; but there are just as 
many hills to the acre when planted as I 
recommend, and there is a little more room 
for the pickers to walk without trampling tne 
vines. It pays to manure in the hill evtm if 
the land is rich, and there should be four 
iuches of soil above the manure. In planting 
I always step on the seed aud press it firmly 
into the soil, and then cover it lightly. In 
favorable weather ih? plants will come up in 
four days. Work them as soon as you can see 
them, aud every few days until thev begiu to 
vine. As soon as fairly in the rough leaf, thin 
to four plants in a hill In about six weeks 
from p anting they will begin to bear, and in 
eight weeks they will be iu their prime,” 
“ At what price can they be grown to make 
a fair profit?” asked the#* juire. 
“If l could contract the crop at 12 cents 
a hundred, delivered within a few miles, I 
think I should like to grow several 
acres ea li year, and should expect a good 
profit from them, but they usually sell in 
market at a much higher figure I had near¬ 
ly a monopoly of the pickls trade for fif¬ 
teen vears in a village of 2,DUO inhabitants, 
aud the price I sold at the entdre time, 
wheth-r the crop was heavy or light, was .So 
cents for a single hundred, 300 for a dollar. 
The only exception to these prices was that I 
had a regular contract with a boarding 
school and oae or tw > hotels at 25 cents a 
hundred, and this en iblel me always to dis¬ 
pose of what was left when market wis over. 
In addition to this, I often salted a few 
barrels when 1 had a surplus ” 
“How do >ou put them down?” 
“ Ry what is cd'ed the “dry salting 
methods”—that Is, l did not make a brine, but 
I covered the bottom of the barrel with salt, 
then poured in a bushel of pickks, peured on 
them a half peck ol salt, gave the barrel a 
shake, aud repeated till it was full. In 24 
hours they would make brine enough to cover 
them aud would settle down till the barrel 
would beacorely half full; then 1 would fill 
up again, aud still a third aud fourth time, 
aud tneu fit in a Wse cover or follower, and 
put a stone on it to keep the pickles under 
br ne. A 40 gallon barrel will hold from 
2,DUO to 4,000 pickles, according to the sizs, 
and, put up iu this way, I have kept them 
two or three years. I think they make a 
much be.ter aud more wholesome pickle if 
the jaice is drawu out of Cuem with salt than 
if maue up at once.” 
“ How do you manage the picking V' 
“In good weather tuey need to oe picked 
every day, aud wa manage to go over tnem 
as late as possible ou Saturday and as early 
as possioie ou Mouday si as to avoid loss. 
Tue most profitaole aud salable pickle is one 
about toi r iucUes ioug, aud to g t this.-ize you 
must pica every day. Taere will, iu spite of 
ail your care, be sumo overlooked, und it is 
not uncommon for m • to get at a single pick¬ 
ing from two ti eigat bisUns ti the acre of 
cucumbers too large to bi of any value.” 
“ Way not leave tuein for seel?” 
“it would ruin thd crop. As soon as a cu¬ 
cumber begins to form seed, all the energies 
of the vine are directed to chat end and the 
production of uew pickles stops. If one is 
giowing several acres it will piy to leave a 
roadway or two thr -ugn the plot for the 
teams to pass to gather up the crop.” 
“ You have sail uitUing ab me varietier.” 
“No! and the selection of the proper sorts 
is ou-j of the most import cut things connected 
with the crop. So ue varieties make a large 
growttt of vine atidsoia cover the lan I s) 
thit it is imp iss.ble Co gataer them with mt 
tramping tuem. white others begin to bear 
very early an l tne tilde aey is to produce 
fruit rather t mu vine. I have found the 
Cluster the best vaiiety, an l woul 1 always 
rather pay $2 a poun l for seed from a pro¬ 
fessional pickle grower t iau to gdt it for 
nothing from an unknown source. For many 
years I got my seed from Boston, Mass., 
from men in the pickle busiaess, and I found 
it much better thau ordinary seed.” 
“Now if you will tell me what else can be 
planted alter July 1st I will be greatly 
obliged.” 
“Binch beaus up to the lOfch of August; 
early varieties of sweet corn to the middle of 
July, and two or three weeks later for cow 
feed; fiat turnips any Eiaiein August,and Win¬ 
ter radisnes at th- same date Common radishes 
may also be sown any time in August. I 
woul l keep the garden un ler cultivation if it 
was only to grow a feed for the cows, for if 
any spots are left vacant they are likely to 
be allowed Co mature wea I seed.” 
The Squire thauke 1 me for what informa¬ 
tion I Ur,d given him, an l told ms he should 
come over again to have a turnip talk, and 
in ray next 1 will report it. 
Butler Co., Ohio. 
-- 
TH3 “BIG BOB” STRAWBERRY. 
Mr. Wh F. Nigh of this pla^e (Piq a) is 
the origin it >r of this man njcu strawberry. 
It was found an accidental seedling arnoag 
some R issel’s Prolific au i supposed to have 
been fert 1 zed by the Jucuuda. This was 
seven years ago The first time tiny were 
advertised for sale was last Winter, when 
Mr. Purdy of Palmyra, N Y , first sent them 
out. The berry is well kaown h-re among 
epicures and for the past four or five ye trs 
it has sold here in the horn > mark -t, com¬ 
manding double the price of the Wilson or 
iu fact anything that has bean on *ale here. 
The first fruit ripens as early as the Wilson but 
it holds out longer. The first fruit picked on 
Mr. Nign’s farm compare l witn the Wilson’s 
that grew in the same patch, and which were 
used to fertilize them, were about as large 
again, with the same deep color, but the body 
was general!., square instead of pointed at the 
end. There were several prominent fruit 
growers here lately, and in my hearing 
they pronounced the “Big B >b’’ by ftr the 
best thing they hid ever seaa It is a pistil- 
ate plant but very enily fertilized, but on 
account of some of the blossoms teeing so 
late the Wilson is not a g eod fertilizer for it, 
but Mr Nigh has an ether seedling which is 
late euough to fertilize it and which he gen¬ 
erally uses for the pnrp >se, Mr. Nigh claims 
that “Big Beb” will produce as much bulk 
of fruit a era (or acre as the Wilson, and that 
issayinga good deal, but frem close observa¬ 
tion I should ju Ige it was not siyiag too 
much for it l have seen nearl v all the new 
kinds—‘except those sent out first this Spring 
—in fruit on the farms of several parties who 
make it a business to sell plants, b it I have 
seen nothing to compare with it for size, 
hardiness vigor of growth pro iucHveness or 
fl .vor. Of course l do not me n that no plant 
equals it in any respect, but l do say that 
there is no plant to my knowledge that com- 
