DEC 30 
by B. K Bliss for the largest amount of Ver- 
monts raised on one-fourth of an acre, com¬ 
petition open to the world. At the same time 
I raised 109 bushels of Brownell’s Beauty on a 
quarter of an acre, for which I received his 
$50 premium I grow my pototoes in hills 
3%x3% feet; cultivate both ways; hill them 
up pretty high; cultivate the ground after 
every rain that forms a crust, up to the 1st 
of July for the early ones, and later in pro¬ 
portion, for those that are later. 
Lycoming Go., Pa. Daniel Steck. 
Battling with Insect Pests. 
In June, 1880, I plowed a 30-acre field, part 
of which was an old oat stubble and part a 
clover sod. I harrowed and cultivated the 
ground up to seeding time. Each time I stirred 
the soil I noticed great numbers of May beetles 
burrowed in it I sowed to wheat on Sept. 
15, and harvested 700 bushels of very fine 
wheat. Last May I plowed the field again, 
and instead of finding the Boil full of May 
beetles, I found it heavily stocked with white 
or red-headed grubs. I pub the field under 
potatoes, carrots, mangels, corn and beans and 
oats. The grubs ea t out half of ttie beaus, dis¬ 
figured the .argest of the potatoes, eat off car¬ 
rots au inch In diameter, and crippled a good 
many mangels. But the corn seemed to es¬ 
cape them or it grew too fast for them, as I 
have a very fine crop of the Golden White 
variety. It w r as planted or rather drilled in 
wicn a common grain-drill; rows three feat 
apart, and i gave it culture. The Rural Flint 
was planted in this same field and it escaped 
the grubs aim. 
This Fall 1 plowed up about 10 acres of the 
30 for wheat. The grubs turned upin asg^eat 
numbers as they did last Spriug, if not iu great¬ 
er. On Sep\ 15th I sowed to wheat five acres 
of the pare that was oat stubble; the wheat 
came up nicely and grew rapidly for about 
two weeks, when I noticed that it began to 
look spotted, and, on examining it, 1 found 
the cause to be the grub, which would get in a 
drill-mark and take every spear for several 
feet. The other five acres—bean and corn stub¬ 
ble—were sowed on Oct. 5tu, aud >t “plowed 
up” as grubby as ihe oat stubble, but I can 
hardly find a spear laat has been eaten off. 
I would say a good word for the much-de¬ 
spised skunk. A family of these offensive¬ 
smelling creatures have a burrow near my 
grub struck wheat field, aud every night the 
whole family go out and dig gt ubs for their 
suppor. They have so far done the field untold 
good, and if the ground does not freeze for a 
couple of weeks they will have most of the 
grubs ferreted out, so 1 shall not disturb the 
essence peddler and his family in their good 
work, but be sure to have the eggs hunted up 
and make tne chickens roost high. F. H. R. 
Berry, N. Y. 
more branching stems, fewer and smaller- 
sized seeds. 
The processes of natural selection which 
have been going on for perhaps millions of 
years in the case of such varieties as the Ca¬ 
tawba, Isabella, Norton’s Virginia and Eu- 
melan, has not amended and never will 
amend the defects; it is alone man’s province 
to take up the work where Nature has dropped 
it, and supplement it with more precision. 
Nature is only careful to clothe her waste 
places with verdure. In our climate a con¬ 
siderable degree of protection for the germs 
is required to carry them through the rigors 
of our hard Winters, hence the thick, hard 
seeds; and it is thus that there is too great a 
call upon the vital functions to build up 
these, to man, useless seeds: increase of pulp, 
not of seeds, is what we require. When this 
can be attained we may expect larger crops, 
for pulp and grape juice are far less costly in 
the plant’s economy than seeds. 
Here, then, is a magnificent work waiting 
the manipulation of the deft-handed horti¬ 
culturist. Who will gain the honors and reap 
the harvest ? My younger readers must not 
grow excited and jump at conclusions. True, 
some lucky one may strike a bonanza in a 
single trial; then, again, the hair of genera¬ 
tions of toiling youth (or fair maidens, I say 
fair maidens, for here should be equal work 
for the sexes) may turn gray, before this end 
is attained. There is no reason why our 
grapes may not be made to surpass the for¬ 
eign as much in the size of their berries and 
clusters as they now do in their robuster 
health and ability to yield crops in climates 
where the foreign goes to the wall. The way 
to do this is to go back again to mother Na 
tare, raise higher organized and specially de¬ 
veloped seed, hybridize flowers in Spring aud 
watch for sports. Tnese are the gems; for, 
looking at all the facts, I think we must 
place most reliance upon sports. Rare judg¬ 
ment must be exercised in selecting seedlings, 
here is where so many have failed If the 
faculty of judging were higher, and th is was 
coupled with integrity, we should have fewer 
new grapes. D. S. Marvin. 
-♦- 
The Eumelan Grape.— From my exp°ri- 
ence I would give up a good many fancy 
grapes before I would spare the Eumelan. It 
has one fault—it is shy of starting and I have 
not been successful in raising new plants. 
But the fruit was worth 20 cents a pound in 
Montreal when Concords were selling for niau 
cents. It is a good bearer with me aud never 
drops its berries. So, like doctors, grape grow¬ 
ers differ in opinion. Annie L. Jack. 
FRUITFULNESS OR FERTILITY OF 
GRAPE-VINES. 
This important question demands more 
aud more attention as the years move onward. 
We can never attain perfect success without 
a closer study of the topic, and the amend¬ 
ment of some of the inherent defects of tne 
reproductive organs of our native grape¬ 
vines. We must also encourage the growth 
of more branching aud longer stems, so that 
the berries may nave room to expand with¬ 
out bursting. Average clusters of foreign 
grapes weigh more than double our own. 
Many of my readers will be astonished when 
I aud that I attribute thiB mainly to defects 
in the sexual organs, uor is it practicable to 
make up by the numberof these small clusters 
the umouut of fruit, for thereby we waste 
too much energy in wood, leal aud stem, aud 
more than all, m tne development of so great 
a number of useless seeds and those of such 
large size. Here is the point to be empha¬ 
sized, and the oue to which we should direct 
all the ameliorating influences under our con¬ 
trol, that we can possibly bring to bear, for 
with our existing vines the vital functions of 
the plants are sadly wasted upon the produc¬ 
tion of these numerous canes and large seeds. 
This, then, is the great economic question 
demauuing attention under preseut condi¬ 
tions—how can we arneud the defects in case 
of the varieties now under cultivation ? The 
answer J3 that we can only palliate as by the 
use of sulphur, and nitrogenous manures 
endeavoring to stimulate and develop the pis¬ 
tils, stamens and other parts of the flowers, 
especially eudeuvoritig to increase the amount 
of the pollen, thereby gaining increased 
fecundity. A proper system of pinching and 
pruning will, to some extent, concentrate the 
energies and gain fuller development, but 
all such efforts will fail to meet the emer¬ 
gency; the only final and full remedy lies iu 
originating new varieties, and carefully se¬ 
lecting those with larger berries, longer and 
SHELVES IN THE DAIRY. 
In the Rural of September 30 under the 
head of “Dairy Husbandry” is described a 
plan fora milk room fora dairy of 30 cows 
where the ordinary shallow pans are used for 
setting the milk, by using racks composed of 
narrow strips instead of shelves, arranged on 
three sideB of the room. I like my plan better 
as requiring less space, being more con¬ 
venient, and requiring less labor in straining 
and setting away the milk and again in taking 
it down and skimming. 
The plan given In the Rural requires a 
mi!k-room of 16 by 24 feet for a dairy of 30 
cows. In my dairy of 70 cows the milk-room is 
only 12 by 16 feet—just one-half the size of 
yours, for more than double the number of 
cows, and there is plenty of room in the flush 
of the season. Instead of shelves or horizon¬ 
tal racks, such as you use, I use au upright 
revolving racK made in this fashion: For the 
standard, take a piece of six by six lumber 
dressed on ail sides through the plainer; square 
the ends and bore with a bit in the center of 
each end, say, four inches, and insert a piece of 
half-inch round iron, for pivots tor the shaft to 
turn on; fasten a little block to the floor for 
the lower end of the shaft to rest iu, and set 
the shaft plumb in the exact position you 
wish it to occupy when finished. Id is now 
ready to receive the rack? which consist of 
strip one by l}4 inch by three feet in length 
nailed to theuprightslmftin pairs on opposite, 
sides commencing with the first pair a foot and 
a half from the floor, observing to put them 
on perfectly level iu both directions. This 
affords room for a pair on each side of the 
shaft. Now turn the shaft half round and 
put up the second set resting on the first and 
at right angles to them, observing the same 
caution to carry them up level in both direc¬ 
tions. This completes the first set round the 
shaft room for four pans. 
Put on the second set in like manner, about 
four to five inches above the first, leaving suffi¬ 
cient space to accommodate the pans, and so 
continue on up to 12 sets on a shaft. Each shaft 
or rack when complete oocupies 'about three 
feet square of space and will accommodate 48 
pans of milk. The only furniture in this room, 
aside from a stove for regulating temperature 
when necessary, is a skimmering table set on 
castors. 
Straining—before commencing to fill the 
rack with empty pans six pans high, fill the tier 
next to you from the strainer bucket; turn the 
next tier to the front and fill also, and so on 
round till the lower part of the rack is filled; all 
this is done without moving out of your tracks. 
To fill the upper part of the rack, strain into 
pans on the table (previously rolled close up 
to the rack) from which the rack is filled 
without moviug a step. When a rack is ready 
to skim, roll the table up to it and the whole 
48 paus are taken down and skimmed without 
moving a step By this plan a space one 
yard square will accommodate 48 pans which 
would require three shelves the whole length 
of the room of 24 feet, besides the saving of 
many steps in straining and putting up the 
milk and taking it down and skimming it. 
Portland, Oregon. Y. B. K. 
RAISING FAMILY PORK ON A SMALL 
FARM. 
For the benefit of “small” farmers who 
read the Rural I here give my method of 
raising pork for family use: In the first place 
I have a tight floor iu my ham, and when 
feeding my stock I shake the dust out of the 
hay as well as the seeds and clover leaves and 
blossoms, sweeping them all up once a day to 
prevent them being soiled by unclean boots 
when I am feeding the stock. 'When gathered 
I put them in a tub or pork half-barrel in the 
yard near the kitchen door, and as the cook¬ 
ing stove has fire in it all day now, I can al¬ 
ways get a kettle of hot water to pour over 
the stuff which is at once covered. I fed three 
pigs from October, 1881, till September 1 in 
the following way: I fill a patent pail with 
hay seed, leaves and clover blossoms; with 
this stuff I mix three pounds of wheat mid¬ 
dlings three times a day for ray three pigs, giv¬ 
ing them a pailful of water each time, if there 
is no slop in the Blop barrels. This feed will 
winter three pigs in good order, and if they 
get good slops from the house and have a 
warm pen to sleep in they will generally be 
too fat for breeding purposes. In Summer 
I let them run on grass, but they are fed the 
usual amount of middlings and have the cus¬ 
tomary quantity of water or slop to drink. 
In September I feed green sweet corn, and in 
October I give them shelled corn and the 
middlings as usual. Here is my pig account 
for one year: 
Dr. 
our purpose, and these gentlemen hold the 
key—that of actual experience and knowl¬ 
edge. Why should every farmer who wishes 
a sulky plow pay his #60 or $100 to learn for 
himself which is the best when these gentle¬ 
men are able and ready to give us the benefit 
of their knowledge ? One may write to any 
one, or all of the different plow manufac¬ 
turers for their circulars, and each and every 
one has the best that is, or EVER will be 
made. All these advertisements and circulars 
are got up to draw, and I confess that I 
have but little faith iu their statements. What 
is the farmer to do? “Money makes the 
mare go," and advertising pays the printer; 
but the farmer “ foots the bill.” 
Norton Co., Kansas. D. E Stevens. 
Remarks. —We could not justly take any 
other course under the circauisttmces. Had 
we tried all the plows we could then have 
made comparison and have stated our prefer¬ 
ence. But these parties each tried their own 
plow and no other, and could make no com¬ 
parison; and that each was pleased proves 
to some extent that sulky plows generally are 
good things. Had each writer tried all the 
plows, it is not probable that all would have 
preferred the same one; that would have been 
strange and unusual, for “many men, many 
minds;” and although there are perhaps more 
than a hundred kinds of leading popular 
plows, yet of the farmers who use these, each 
thinks the kind he uses to be the best of all 
of them, Sulky plows have their special 
points and their special uses. The makers of 
them are all leadiug plow manuiacturers and 
one plow differs but little practically from 
another in point of usef ulneas. Each manu¬ 
facturer has his own business connection and 
locality, and of course each must have a good 
plow to supply to his special customers and 
to keep his business in its usual channel. But 
it ia quite necessary that each should have a 
good plow, and all the farmer has to do is to 
get a plow from some well-known manufac¬ 
turer and he will be pretty certain to get a 
good one. Advertisements are certainly got 
up to draw; it is tne business of au advertiser 
to make his wares kuown. But what would 
the farmers do without them? He might as 
well live 50 years past if that were possible, 
as to see no advertisements in his papers. 
And these have been as useful to him as any 
par t of the reading matter, if he has only 
used common seuse and reasonable judgment 
In his use of them. When we have person¬ 
ally tried any implement and found it a good 
one we have never hesitated to point out the 
merits freely for the information of our read¬ 
ers; but not having tried all the sulky plows 
it would not be just to others to praise one in 
particular. It is true, as our friend remarks, we 
might have given the addresses of the writers. 
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS. 
Oct. 1, 1881, to 3 young pigs @$3. $9,00 
To 11 mouths’feeding wheat middlings 
@$1.25 per 100 pounds. 29 70 
Sweet eorn in September. 12.00 
600 pounds of middlings in October- 7 50 
12 bushels of shelled corn @85e. 10.20 
Total.$68 40 
Cr 
July 5,1882, sold 4 pigs at $2.50.$10 00 
September 20, sold 1 pig at. 5 00 
.. .. 3 pigs to keep, $5.. 15.00 
November 10, .. 675 pounds of pork 
at 10c... 67 50 
Total.$97 50 
Net profit.$29 10 
Hereabouts the manure is the only pay al¬ 
lowed farmers for keeping hogs, and so far 
j as the amount and quality of the manure are 
concerned, I get as good pay as any of my 
neighbors and the $29.10 for the refuse from 
my barn. Had I separated my sows in time 
last Spriog I would probably have four more 
pigs to sell. As it was. they were dropped 
out-of doors during a cold night, and as there 
were two sows on the place, the young things 
were found dead in the morning. m. m. 
Menominee Co., Mich/ 
WHY NOT NAME THE SULKY PLOWS ? 
While perusing my Rural last evening I 
read the several articles of Messrs Brown, 
Blanchard, 8. H. H., V. Stone, and C. B , in 
regard to the use of sulky plows. They were 
not. permitted to name the plows of their 
choice, so I thought I would write them and 
get their several, perhaps, opinions as to 
which is the best sulky plow, that I might, 
! when I “get able,” buy me one; but in looking 
for their several addresses I found that they, 
too, had been suppressed 1 I never question 
the position of the Rural as the unalterable 
friend of the farmer, but was not a mistake 
made in withholding either the names of the 
plows or the P. O. addresses of the gentlemen 
referred to? We want the “key” whereby 
we may determine which is the best plow for 
It is unfortunate for us ordinary readers 
who are too much busied with other things to 
keep in our heads the specific technicalities of 
chemical expression, that nitrogen is not 
called “nitr” through all its combiuations. 
We read of it as nitrogen, as ammouia, as ni¬ 
trous acid and as nitric acid; but that word 
“ammonia” is so uniike the others that an 
ordinary reader cannot help thinking that it 
must mean something different. It seems 
that it is a combination of nitrogen and hy¬ 
drogen, just as nitrous aud nitric acids are 
combinauious in less and greater proportions 
with oxygen, or souring stuff, as the Ger¬ 
mans call it. It would aid plain readers w ho 
desire to understand the important questions 
about the food of plants, if ammonia, w hen 
mentioned in ordinary papers, had its nitr- 
hydr form of appellation added. Sir J- B. 
Lawes says that experiments aiming to test 
the araouut of ammonia which an open soil 
may condense into itself from the air passing 
over it, have beeu found almost impossible to 
effect owing to the great amount of air which 
may pass over any given surface iu the open 
field; as the average travel of the air at 
Greenwich was 2yi miles daily in 1881, 
and 999 miles ou one day (October 11). But 
the amount of ammonia brought down by 
rain is more measurable, and in the annual 
rain fall at Rothamsted of 28 mches, it ap¬ 
pears to be not over seven to eight pounds per 
acre, if so much. He estimates that 1,200 
pouuds of nitrogen per acre were taksn off by 
the crops or washed out of tne soil of an ex¬ 
perimental field ill 30 years. Of this, 290 
pouuds can only be accounted for by suppos¬ 
ing that it was either absorbed fr m the at¬ 
mosphere or drawn by roots from below the 
depth of nine inches from the surface. In a 
plot kept bare and uncropped for 10 years 
more than 40 pouuds per acre of nitrogen (in its 
very soluble form of nffric acid) were washed 
away through the soil annually. A soil with 
a carbonaceous surface is so much readier to 
absorb nitrogen, and prepare it for plant use, 
that one of the first considerations in soil- 
husbandry is to preserve as much as possible 
the black-mold coating of the ground, w. o. 
* 
