JULY 45 
469 
than in the East, is coming rapidly into culti¬ 
vation, I hope we can get as good oats from 
it to make our meal as are grown in England 
or Scotland, as the climate there, especially 
on the Northern Pacific coast, is quite like 
that of Great Britain, which is essential for 
producing a first-rate quality of this highly 
useful graiu' a.nti-bolter. 
f arm (fcoriomij. 
COST OF PRODUCTION. 
[Rural Special Report.] 
The Practical Farmers’ Club of Oxford, 
Ohio, discussed the above question at their 
June meeting. Several of our members had 
been figuring on the cost of producing our 
different crops, and the first thing in order, 
after hearing the essay and s lection read, was 
to bear from the members on the general topic. 
Mr. B. 8. Miller estimated that it cost 27% 
cents to grow corn wheu the yield was 40 
bushels per acre; that his oats cost about 27 
cents, but he did not give the yield per acre. 
A wheat crop averaging 12 bushels per acre 
cost 06 cents per bushel; 16 bushels per acre, 
76 cents, and the cost per bushel would de¬ 
crease in the inverse ratio that the average per 
acre increased. Potatoes he could grow for 
24 cents per bushel, if the yield was near 100 
bushels per acre. His estimate was based 
on 65 per acre for rent of land, 61.25 per 
acre for breaking, 75 cents per acre for har¬ 
rowing and marking, and 61.75 for cultivating 
corn and potatoes. To the latter crop he 
charged seven bushels of seed at 50 cents, and 
65 per acre for digging. 
Mr. Benj. Boyd e-timated that wheat at a 
yield of 16 bushels per acre would cost 83 cents 
per bushel; that corn averaging 35 bushels per 
acre woul 1 cost 30 cents per bushel, and that 
oats averaging 40 bushels would cost 20 cents. 
Mr. Thomas Murphy estimated that 30 bush¬ 
els of corn to the acre would cost 32 cents per 
bushel, while 60 bushels would cost but 10 
cents; he estimates 17 bushels of wheat to the 
acre to cost 80 cents per bushel. 
Mr. J. B. Pugh who has been a very suc¬ 
cessful wheat grower, estimated that he had 
grown several crups of wheat at a cost of 
52 cents per bushel. He gave no estimate of 
the cost of growing other crops. 
Mr. Ezra Bourne'estimated that 50 bush¬ 
els of com to the acre would cost 20 cents a 
bushel; 30 bushels of oats would cost 30 cents 
per bushel; 20 bushels of wheat would cost 
65 cents per bushel. He based his estimate on 
65 per acre for rent, $1,25 per acre for plow¬ 
ing, 50 cents f n* preparing seed bed, 25 cents 
for sowing and $1.50 for harvesting. He also 
allowed 15 cents per bushel for hauling and 
thrashing. 
This called out the opinions of the members, 
and some estimated that thrashing would 
not cost more than 10 cents a bushel, the ma¬ 
chine charge being four cents; the same 
would pay the hands, and this would leave 
two cents per bushel for board. One mem- 
ber stated that he was willing to balance the 
straw against the entire expense of hauling 
and thrashing the crop, and thought it was 
worth more than this to any farmer. 
Waldo F. Brown had made his estimate 
on the average crops of the .State and put the 
cost as follows;—corn, 35 cents; wheat 90 cents; 
oats, 40; potatoes 40 cents. The cost of all of 
these could be greatly reduced, however, by 
good farming. He had kept an expense ac¬ 
count with his wheat crops for several years, 
and with an average of 30 bushels to the acre 
he had grown wheat for less that 50 cents per 
bushel. Un one field where corn w r as cut off 
wheat had cost only 37 cents, as the expense 
of preparing the seed-bed was small. It was his 
custom to charge a wheat crop 50 cents per 
load for stable manure, as the manure would 
benefit succeeding crops. When commercial 
fertilizers were used he charged the entire 
cost. 
On the sub-topic, “What is the best meth¬ 
od of reducing cost?" a general exchange of 
views showed that it must be done largely by 
increasing the yield. There is a fixed cost in 
rent,seed, plowing, harvesting, etc. which must 
be met w bother the crop is light or heavy, 
aud a little extra labor and fertilization would 
often largely increase the crop. Instances 
were cited where an extra dollar per acre, 
spent in stirring arid rolling a wheat field, had 
added 610 per aore to the value of the crop. 
The use of good implements, enabling one 
rnun to do the work of two, au intelligent ro¬ 
tation which by clovering brought about a 
good mechanical condition of soil, and, in¬ 
deed, all included in the term “good farm¬ 
ing," will help to reduce cost. 
The next subtopic, “How to estimate the 
cost of a bushel of any crop," was auswered 
by several members showing that there must 
be an account kept and that the crop must be 
charged with labor, seed, fertilizers, etc. 
This introduced the last sub-topic, “Farm 
Accounts,” and W. F. Brown was called on 
to tell how to keep them. He said: “In 
keeping farm accounts I prefer to keep a sep¬ 
arate account with each field. The fields 
should be numbered and a special value put 
on each. If, for example, the farm cost 675 
per acre and contained 100 acres, I would first* 
deduct the value of the buildings and then es¬ 
timate tbo value of each field, so that all 
would foot up 67,500. Twenty acres of the 
best laud might bo worth 630 per acre to cul¬ 
tivate, while there might be a field of broken 
land not worth 610. I would enter the valua¬ 
tion of each field at the head of the page, and 
the first charge made should be interest and 
taxes. The account with a ten-acre field in 
wheat would be something like the following: 
Interest and taxes on 10 acres at 630 per 
acre (6800) at seven per cent. $56 
Breaking at $1.50 per acre. 15 
Harrowing and rolling four days at 63 
per day. . 12 
Drilling at 40 cents per acre. 4 
Seed wheat (10 bushels)... 10 
Oue ton bone meal. 34 
Clover seed. 7 
Harvesting, at 61 50 per acre. 15 
Total. 6153 
Credit by 23 bushels of wheat per acre, 
at 61 per bushel. 6230 
Deduct outlay. 153 
Profit on crop. 677 
I have allowed nothing for hauling and 
thrashing, because I believe the straw will 
amply pay for this part of the work. The 
clover seed should not legitimately be charged 
to this crop, but if not charged to the field at 
the time, it will likely be omitted. 
This closed the discussion, but the question 
drawer brought out some opinions as to the 
value of clover. Mr. Murphy thougHt clover, 
rightly managed, the most profitable crop on 
the farm, but it should not be pastured until 
it began to bloom. W. F. Brown estimated 
that a crop of clover, even when used for hay 
or pasture, would improve the land as much 
as 16 loads of manure, which he could not 
buy and apply to his fields for less than 61 a 
load. The question was asked, which gave 
the greatest benefit to the land—to pasture 
the clover or mow it. Answered by Mr. Mil¬ 
ler, Jr., that the roots developed letter when 
the crop was allowed to mature for cutting, 
and that he thought the land was ordinarily 
benefited more in this way than when 
pastured. The club then adjourned to meet 
in July. 
Smplfmmts, vVc, 
PRUNING SHEARS. 
I ha ve made trial of two pruning instru¬ 
ments advertised or mentioned in the Rural, 
and have good words to say of both. The Per¬ 
fection pruning shears of Messrs. Thorburn & 
Co. is not as handsome in actual finish as in 
the cut in their catalogue (given also in a late 
Rural, p. 109), butit has the substantial merits 
of easy cutting, easy insertion of its narrow¬ 
ed points between crowded shoots that require 
thinning, safety for the hand by the novel 
arrangement of the spring and the clasp, and 
great strength, requiring a large band to work 
the larger 9lze, but this power and resistance 
have not been complained of by any of those 
who have joined me iri making a test of the 
powers of this new instrument. 
A pruner requires something of a kit of tools 
to meet all the forms and exigencies of his 
work and to do it well, aud of these the saw 
should be used most rarely, only for indis¬ 
pensable amputations. The thumb and finger, 
used with due intelligence annually and early 
in the season, will anticipate and prevent the 
infliction of the knife which is as harmful to a 
tree as to an animal, unless restricted to mere 
thinning of small shoots or removal of dis¬ 
eased ones; they are, therefore, the first and 
best of pruning tools. 
If they have not been used at the proper 
time (from May onwards) and superfluous 
shoots have been allowed to choke the head 
of the tree, keeping the needful light from the 
leaves of the fruit spurs, and weakening all 
around, some tool that will best thin out aud 
remove these robber shoots must be used. If 
the top is beyond arm’s reach, a light and 
very easily managed and effective pruner is 
that called the Eagle, from the hawks-bill 
form of its movable knife. A downward pull 
closes two sharp edges on the shoot and brings 
it down with great ease, and the hooked blade 
makes it easy to adjust and sure to keep its 
place, obviating the difficulties which cause 
heavy, wavering, uncertain and slow pole- 
pruning instruments generally to be soon giv¬ 
en up in disgust. 
This same light pruner is especially conve¬ 
nient for cutting out the old canes and redun¬ 
dant weak ones from prickly rows of black¬ 
berry and raspberry bushes. With one draw- 
stroke of one hand, the cane is severed at the 
ground and generally drawn out at the same 
time into the interspace. Ordinarily this is 
such an unpleasant job that it is apt to be put 
off much too long. With a suitable tool there 
Is motive to do it early. I pruned with the 
“Eagle ” for a whole half day in a neighbor’s 
fruit lot without a scratch and without fa¬ 
tigue, for very enjoyment of the operation. 
With due care to clean and dry and oil after 
using, there is no reason apparent why this 
light, handy instruhient should not continue 
to do good service indefinitely. It is made by 
the American Pruning Co. of Fitchburg, 
Mass. 
By way of keeping up a warning signal of 
“danger ahead," it is well to mention that 
fruit trees suffer greatly by being pruned 
when the buds are opening and from that 
time until leaves have fully unfolded. The 
stems are then gorged with sap, the warm 
weather swells it and liquifies it, and it only 
escapes by the leaves. Until they have ex¬ 
panded sufficiently to relieve the pressure, any 
wound made becomes a running sore, and can¬ 
not heal because of the constant flow. The 
constant stream down the bark causes incipi¬ 
ent decay, unsightliness and serious injury, 
and the resources of the plant are wasted. 
Tyrone, Pa. w. 
-- 
THE JOHN P. MANNY GUARD. 
Fig. 221 represents the John P. Manny 
Guard. It is used only on the John P. Manny 
Short-stroke, Shear-cut Mower, and the John 
P. Manny Independent Reaper. This guard is 
a very important improvement, aud a descrip¬ 
tion of it will interest every farmer. It is 
provided with a hardened steel face-plate, 
fitted firmly in its seat, and held in place by 
the guard bolt, so that it can be taken out, 
sharpened and replaced, or a new one insert¬ 
ed, without loosening the guard from the bar 
or getting it out of line. By this arrangement, 
the guards may be kept in good cutting order 
as easily as the knives. Heretofore there has 
been no good way provided to sharpen the 
guards of mowing-machines, and many a 
farmer has been obliged to lay his mower 
aside, simply because there was no practical 
The Manny Guard.— Fig. 231. 
way whereby he could sharpen or renew them. 
The knives or other pieces he could replace 
when worn, but the guards, which would wear 
out about as soon as any other part, he could 
not successfully sharpen or repair; and the 
durability of his musver was just equal to one 
set of guards, and no more. True, the guards 
to some mowerj have plates, bat they are riv¬ 
eted on the guards, others have plates that 
can be removed, provided the guards are first 
taken off from the bar. Without the proper 
appliances no persou can remove such plates, 
and replace them so as to preserve a clean 
shear cut upon the face or edge of each. 
The John P. Manny is the first and only 
guard that can be kept in good cutting order, 
easily and without especial skill. It has re¬ 
ceived the commendation of every farmer 
who has seen or used it, as nearly all have 
had some uncomfortable experience in trying 
to baggie off the grass with guards that wore 
dull aud could uot be sharpened, and are in a 
right frame of mind lo appreciate an inven¬ 
tion like this. In addition to the above ad¬ 
vantages, the guards are made of the best mal¬ 
leable iron, very heavy, and they will neither 
bend nor break; and the plates are made of the 
best quality of steel. 
The hardened steel face plate forms a con¬ 
tinuous bearing for the support of the blades, 
which lie smooth upon the face of the guards 
their whole length. 
On the Jofci P. Manny machine the knife 
back is placed on top of the blades, and the 
entire weight of the knife serves to hold the 
sections down upon the face of the guards, 
instead of tipping up, as in the old organiza¬ 
tion. 
Again, the clips or guides project over, and 
have their bearing upon the center of the 
bla ies, forward of the knife back; this enables 
them to hold the points down upon the surface 
of the guards with certainty, and with the 
least possible pressure and friction. Thus 
every element in the John P, Manny tends to 
secure by its weight and position, whether 
moving or fixed, the one desired and, namely, 
a perfect shear cut. 
Edmiston and Waddell of 279% & 281 
Greenwich St., New York, are the manufac¬ 
turers of these popular machines and are enj 
joying a very heavy trade this reason. They 
will be pleased to send circulars to any 
address. g. b. b. 
Cl )t Simnc-ljevtr. 
YOUNG PIG FEEDING. 
COL. F. D. CURTIS. 
Few persons really know how to feed 
young purs aright. They generally overdo the 
matter and give them too much at a time. 
They muss and wallow in the feed left in the 
trough, so that it is unfit for them, and when 
hunger forces them to eat it, it makes them 
sick. The owner, seeing feed in the trough, 
either adds more to it, or waits till it is eateD. 
In either case he does wrong. Before feeding 
the second time the trough should always be 
washed or swept out clean. Pigs should 
never be made to eat food in which they have 
tramped with their dirty feet. This leads to 
the remark that their feet should not be dirty. 
The pen should be so constructed that the 
feeding place—the trough—should be suffi¬ 
ciently elevated so that the juices in the pen 
will not “nasty up" this part, and there Bhould 
be bedding enough in the pen to enable the 
pigs to keep their feet and their entire bodies 
clean: when this is done the trough wifi not be 
so dirty and the pigs will do better. We 
have often cautioned Rura.l readers against 
giving young pigs too hearty food, as it is 
injurious to them; so is dirty food. The 
former produces derangement of the stomach 
and bowels, leading to diarrhea, and if con¬ 
tinued to inflammation of the bowels, and the 
latter to nausea, loss of appetite and perhaps 
the same results. In either case the pigs do 
not thrive. Another mistake which must be 
guarded against is feeding swill or milk too 
sour. 
When wheat or rye bran is mixed 
with the swill, fermentation is very rapid, 
especially in hot weather, and the swill will 
reach a condition unfit for food before the 
owner is aware of it, unless he mixes only a 
sufficient quantity at a time for one or two 
feedings ahead. Fermentation in a swill barrel 
where sour milk is mixed with the contents 
is actively going on all of the time. As fer¬ 
mentation changes the character of food, the 
farmer often feeds his young pigs just exactly 
that which is almost if not at solutely poison¬ 
ous, while he is supposing all of the time he is 
giving them the most healthful and nutritious 
kinds of food. For instance, he puts skim 
milk into his swill barrel, so much of it that 
it is not fed out as soon as it is simply sour 
and lopperd, and it remains there until it un¬ 
dergoes the other forms of fermentation, and 
becomes either acetous or putrefactive, 
either condition rendering it unfit for food. 
A swill barrel, to put it in plain language, so 
sour* that its contents are either like vinegar 
or alcohol, or so stinking that putrefaction is 
evident, is not the proper medium for healthy 
pigs. The deleterious effects of bad food may 
be counteracted somewhat by feeding char 
coal freely, which pigs, with a knowing 
instinct, will always devour greedily. “A 
little and often," is the rule of all successful 
pig raisers; “a little,” means just what the 
pig will eat without leaving the trough, and 
when it is first taken from the sow, it could be 
measured in a gill cup; as it grows older and 
larger, the ration should grow with increased 
size and appetite. “Often.” means, when the 
pig is young, not less than six times a day 
and when older uot less than four, until the 
growing age is over ami the fattening season 
begins, when a pig will eat three times in a 
day all the food it can digest. 
To do just right the milk skimmed in the 
morning should all be fed by night-tine the 
same day, that is,skimmed, or sour milk should 
all be fed within 13 hours after skimming, 
and bran mixed in it should also be fed 
within 12 hours. In hot weather six hours 
would be better. To manage this business pro¬ 
perly there should be two swill barrels, and 
mixtures be made accordingly, one ’ oiug filled 
as the other is emptied. 
