1684 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
646 
mentation, greatly modify the character of 
the silage produced. 
It would appear that a temperature of about 
125 deg. is sufficiently high to kill the bacteria 
which produce acid fermentation, and if the 
bacteria are killed, and the silo is covered and 
weighted, the inclosed mass of green fodder 
will remain sweet, and be practically pre¬ 
served under the fame conditions as fruits, 
vegetables, or meats are preserved when can¬ 
ned. If this be the case, it will be at once in¬ 
telligible that by less packing of the fodder 
when put into the silo, and extending the 
time of filling until the temperature rises to a 
point which is fatal to the bacteria, the result¬ 
ing silage will be sweet, and free from acidity; 
while the sour silage is produced by at once 
consolidating, covering up and weighting the 
green fodder, so as to prevent the tempera¬ 
ture rising to the point fatal to the bacteria. 
From these tests it would appear that Dr. 
Miles’s statements as to the temperature essen¬ 
tial to kill bacteria are correct, ami that the 
tests made at Houghton Farm were faulty. 
Summer and Winter Work.— ‘’The Sum¬ 
mer Is the busy season and is for work; the 
present is a more leisure time and may best 
be turned to account by planning next year’s 
campaign.’" We are really sorry to see so 
good a paper as the Farm Journal giving 
what, to us, seems such poor advice. Taking 
six months for planning to help the brains 
over the other six i9 too much like the con¬ 
duct of some of the generals during the late 
war—they spent nearly all the time planning. 
We think the farmer should have his plans so 
arranged that the Winter is as well occupied 
and made fully as profitable as the Summer, 
We use the Summer in gathering the mat¬ 
erials and in gotting the stock, and preparing 
for business, and the Winter we use in active 
work, converting the raw material into beef, 
mutton, milk, butter, pork and manure. Six 
months’ work and six months’ rest is by far 
too short a work and too long a rest spell for 
profit, to muscle or brains. ’Tistoo much like 
the story of the fat and the lean kina, and the 
owner comes out spring poor. No! no! we 
should give employment to nearly as many 
men in Winter as in Summer. We should 
crowd the farm at all times to its full capa¬ 
city. _ 
Mr. Jarkd Topping, of Colorado, is re 
ported in the Tribune as raising 400 quarts of 
strawberries on a plot 20 by 00 feet. This 
would bo at the rate of 14,520 quarts, or 454 
bushels per acre. A prolific country cer¬ 
tainly ! _ 
Mr. Josiah Hoopes, in the Tribune, thiuks 
that after two years’fruiting. Fay’s Prolific 
Currant produces clusters that surpass the 
immense bunches represented by the wood¬ 
cuts that ushered this new fruit into notice. 
This is one of the presents wo shall give for 
subscribers. He also thinks that Downing’s 
Gooseberry is a valuable fruit and that no 
one can make a mistake in planting it. 
The Niagara. Grape —Mr. Hoopes, speak¬ 
ing of the Niagara Grape, says that when 
fully ripe, in Eastern Pennsylvania, it has 
surprised most vinoyardists by its productive¬ 
ness, hardiness and real good quality, and 
that some bunches shown him this year 
closely resembled Muscats in appearance. 
The easiest way to secure one of these vidos is 
to send us a club of four subscribers, for which 
we will have a fine two year-old vine delivered 
to you free. 
Huckleberry Culture.— Mr. D. J. Bcott, 
Bridgewater, N. Y., tells the Husbandman 
that about fifteen years ago he transplanted 
huckleberries, of both the high aud the low 
kinds, from a cold, wet swamp to a dry gravel¬ 
ly soil, where they have grown taller than in 
their native spot, and produce larger and 
more abundant berries. He advises us to set 
out young plants, about a foot high, in the 
Spring, and theu to mulch them for a year or 
two, and plow in some coarse horse manure 
occasionally. They are slow to start, but af¬ 
ter they are started they grow rapidly, both 
in bush and berry. 
Keeping Seed Potatoes.— During some 
years’ experience, Henry Stewart has found 
the best way to keep seed potatoes is to select 
them now and bury them in the soil, without 
any other covering or protection, deeply 
enough to secure them from frost. lu the 
Spring, or as late as July, they come out fresh, 
succulent, without an eye started, and in the 
best condition for planting as well as for eat¬ 
ing. 
Profits ok Middlemen.—How much did 
you say wheat is worth now in market? asks 
the editor of the £"arm Journal. From 50 to 
90 cents a bushel, the price being determined 
by the distance from market. Well, say 75 
cents as the cash the farmer gets for a bushel 
of the golden grain. What does the baker 
get? We will tell you: he gets $2.85; hence.it 
takes $2.10 to pay for converting a bushel of 
75 cent wheat into breau and delivering it to 
the consumer. We recently bought a loaf of 
baker’s bread aud found it to weigh 14}£ 
ounces: we baked the water out of it, when it 
weighed 11 ounces; then we figured up and 
found the above result, I. r., the farmer gets 
75 cents for wheat that costs him 75 cents to 
grow, and the baker gets $2.85 for the bread 
that the bushel of wheat makes What was it 
Washington said about the farmer’s calling 
being the most noble employment of man? 
-♦»» 
MULTUM IN PARVO. 
The illustrations of fruits in other journals 
and in nurserymen’s catalogues present a sin¬ 
gular contrast in size when compared with 
those which the R. N.-Y. places before its 
readers—the exact reproductions from nature, 
as grown in the Rural Ex. Grounds. It is a 
subject worthy of thought that nearly every¬ 
one of the seedmen’s and nurserymen’s cata¬ 
logues quote from the Rural only what wo 
say in favor of new plants, never wbat we say 
against them. Thus the Rural is often made 
to indorse novelties which, in truth, it posi¬ 
tively condemned. Accordingly we have 
been amazed to find that we have unqualifiedly 
indorsed the Kieffer Pear, Japan Persimmon, 
Prickly Comfrey, Pearl Millet, Black Cham¬ 
pion Oats, Black-bearded Centennial Wheat, 
many different kinds of potatoes, raspberries, 
grapes and lots of other things. Now, when 
interested parties quote the good of what oue 
says in his report, and omit the bad—what do 
you call it?. 
Preb. McCann says, in the Husbandman, 
that probably the quickest way to change 
cider into vinegar is by aerating—con lucting 
very slowly from one barrel to another 
through long leaders.. 
Col. Hoffman thinks that, wilti|tbe present 
price of grain and vegetables, pork can be 
made for seveu cents a pound. He thinks 
barley worth more than corn, and would pre¬ 
fer a mixture of grain with steamed potatoes, 
including a little wheat aud buckwheat, 
though a small proportion of the last. 
Now, cover the soil for at least three feet 
around newly transplanted trees with ma¬ 
nure. The grape-vine borders would also 
be helped by such an application. Have you 
coal ashes? Put them about the currant 
and gooseberry bushes. Prune your grape¬ 
vines as soon as you can. There is no better 
time. 
Having a furnace in the cellar, a few large 
plants of rhubarb nicely set in half-Hour- 
barrel tubs may be forced to grow in Winter, 
if placed near the furnace, remarks Mr. J. B. 
< Hcoti. . 
A trek of the Blenheim Pippiu, in England, 
produced, the past season, 42 * 1 .,' bushels of "ap¬ 
ples. Mr. Meehan asks if any oue knows what 
iB the heaviest crop any American apple tree 
has been known to produce?... 
The Rural’s advice for next season: Keep 
your head level or, in other words, don’t hill 
up your corn and potatoes. Try it, and re¬ 
port.. 
And so the Rural is going to try its hand 
at raising a large crop of potatoes on poor land 
another year, and thus confirm or remove the 
doubts of those who say it cannot be done! 
What will make the test more interesting is 
that a neighboring farmer is fitting about 
three acres of land adjoining the Rural plot, 
to be planted to potatoes, which will be raised 
in the usual way. This laud was plowed at 
the same time as ours, and 15 tons of "city 
horse mauure were applied to the acre. Wk 
shall use ’‘chemical 1 ’ fertilizers only. Lot us 
see. Rural subscribers from Maine to Flori¬ 
da: from New Yo k to California, will be in¬ 
vited to attend the harvest. And theu the 
P„URAL proposes to crow, or—to bow its head 
in sorrow and acknowledge its defeat. 
Dr. T. H. Hoskins says, in the Vermont 
Watchman, that horse-racing under the aus¬ 
pices of our agricultural societies ought to be 
prohibited for the reason (and this is not the 
only one) that the business—that of breeding 
and traiuing fast colts—which the societies 
thus encourage, is a business from which no 
substantial benefits are ever realized. The 
breeding and training of colts for the race¬ 
course is but a species of gambling, aud cer¬ 
tainly much odium attaches, or should attach* 
to our agricultural societies for giving it their 
encouragement... 
Sir J. B. Lawes, writing to the Field 
(England), says that the late Report of the 
New York Experimental Station contains a 
vast amount of experimental and analytical 
information, and bears strong witucss to the 
indefatigable industry of the director, E. 
Lewis Sturtevant. Were we in the Doctor’s 
place, we should feel greatly encouraged aud 
gratified upon receiving such praise from such 
asource...... 
There are other journals as well as the 
RURAL, that are eareful as to their advertise¬ 
ments. The New England Homestead says 
that most of its exchanges teem with the ad¬ 
vertisements of newspaper frauds that offer 
lottery schemes to catch subscribers. Those 
notorious and unmitigated frauds, the Chicego 
Globe and the Cincinnati Ocean to Ocean, 
were the first in the field. They were adver¬ 
tised iu nearly all the agricultural and other 
weeklies in New England. The Poultry 
Keeper of Chicago, the Illustrated Family 
Monthly of Augusta, Me, and numerous 
other publications, are advertising to distrib¬ 
ute from $50,000 to $100,000 in prizes among 
their subicribers. Any journal that advertises 
frauds of this or any other kind is a partici¬ 
pant in the fraud. 
The Farm Journal thinks that what this 
couutry needs is to drink loss beer (and whis¬ 
key) and to eat more oat-meal mush.. 
It is now time to cover strawberry plants 
for the Winter. If growing in matted rows, 
fill the space between them with mauure. 
Keep your apples in a temperature as near 
29 degrees as possible. 
The farmer who sells at wholesale ami buys 
at retail prices, must needs buy little or make 
up the difference by overwork. The above is 
the forcible way in which J R. Olcott puts it. 
The new thornless black raspberry Spring 
field is said to be earlier than any other,as large 
as Gregg, vigorous, hardy and Immensely 
(See page 844.) 
We have not tried it, but have ordered plauts 
—of course... 
According to potato experiments made in 
England, when the chemical fertilizers were 
sown under the seed-pieces or sets and covered 
with an intervening layer of earth, the yield 
was six tons to the acre. When the fertilizers 
were mixed with the soil immediately under 
the sots, the yield was nearly eight tons to the 
acre. When sown on the surfuce at the time 
of planting, the yield was over 11 tons to the 
acre. When sown on fcho surface and lightly 
stirred in with a fork—equivalent to a light, 
harrowing—the yield was over 13 tons to the 
acre. The account is given in the London Ag¬ 
ricultural Gazette.. 
Josiah Hoopes speaks of several of the 
newer kinds of grapes, in the Weekly Press. 
The Prentiss was among the very best of the 
white or amber-colored grapes with him, aud 
apparently as hardy as its reputed parent, the 
Isabella. The bunch aud berry are both a 
little small, but very juicy, sweet, and with a 
tender pulp. 
Mr. Hoopes has a good word to say for 
Marvin’s Centennial. It is of fine, pure flavor, 
of a clear amber color, and so translucent that 
the seeds may be observed by holding the ber¬ 
ries to the light. It is very juicy, sweet, with 
a soft pulp and very thiu skin. The Duchess is 
somewhat tender with him. Ho does not like 
the Lady. He speaks well of Brighton, Jeffer¬ 
son, El Dorado and Niagara... 
Prof. S. T. Maynard fed to a horse seeds of 
the Dock, Sorrel, Daisy and Shepherd’s Purse, 
and the refuse was collected. Upon careful 
examination, it was found that the seeds, un¬ 
less crushed. were uninjured, and germinated 
readily when placed in soil under proper con¬ 
ditions of heat aud moisture. The experiment 
was repeated several times with the same re- 
BUlfc . 
A writer in the Husbandman reminds 
readers that cabbages not entirely headed, 
will often form heads if placed, roots down 
ward, in a pit of sufficient depth to bring the 
tops of the leaves just above the -urface of the 
ground, and covered with sufficient straw or 
hay to prevent severe freezing. Increase the 
covering as the weather becomes colder. 
Seed cabbages should always^be set with 
the roots down, as the stumps are the most im¬ 
portant part to be preserved. 
Mr. William Parry, of New Jersey, gave 
a carp dinner to some friends. All expressed 
the opinion that these fish are of a very super¬ 
ior quality...... 
Wk will gladly send specimen copies of the 
Rural New-Yorker to any names our sub¬ 
scribers may send us. This will aid them in 
securing subscriptions. Help the Rural to 
extend its Influence for 1885... 
The Index of the Rural New-Yorker 
will la better—more complete—than ever be¬ 
fore. It. will probably fill six pages.. 
The Western Rural says that the paper 
Leisure Hour is a swindle in some shape. It 
refers to the Farm, Field and Stockman as 
offering a $25 gold watch for $5.75. It kuows 
of no such paper. We presume it is the 
Farm. Field and Fireside changed to that 
name, of which W. V. R. Powis i« the pub¬ 
lisher. This person threatened to sue the 
Rural New-Yorker for wlmt we said of 
him and his paper. We begged him to do so, 
saying that vve desired a good opportunity to 
“show him up.” But he wrote us instead 
an apologetic letter. 
TRANSCONTINENTAL LETTERS. 
XIX. 
MARY WAGER-FISHER. 
A town of considerable importance in the 
upper Willamette Valley is Eugene, 123 miles 
south of Portland. The State University is 
located here,and passengers in the traiu spoke 
of Eugene ns being "very nice.” An old man 
who alighted at Eugene, but lived some miles 
to the southward, said that ho bad offered his 
farm of a thousand acres tor 83,000—much of 
it was on the hills and in brush. His wife, 
who had come from Illinois six years before 
for her health—and making his acquaintance 
had married him—said that she liked Illinois 
much the best, but that her health had been 
better here than it had been for thirty years. 
Upon hearing me say that I hud not tasted 
Oregon butter that was good, she answered 
that the butter she made was good; but she 
didn’t approve of tho “funcy” way Oregon 
butter makers had of shaping their butter in 
wooden molds 1 She made hers into rolls and 
decorated the top with the ladle, and she got 
30 cents a pound for it in Eugene, and from 
15 to 40 cents pur dozen for her eggs! 
The prettiest part of the valley 1 thought 
lay between Eugene and Albany, the moun¬ 
tain scenery being charmingly diversified; 
but at almost any point in the Willamette or 
Umpqua, tho country was sufficiently attrac¬ 
tive, from an agricultural standpoint, to suit 
the most exacting,and before wo had left tb 0 
valley, wo had iu fancy bought a plantation 
aud located ourselves upon it. Our stage ride 
from Albany to Corvallis was decidedly exhil¬ 
arating. for the driver allowed us all to sit 
upon tho scat with him, aud ho drove his four 
horses at a galloping gait, cracking his whip 
with great gusto. Wo crossed the Willamette 
on a ferry propelled by the river current 
simply. We hud several hours of daylight at 
Corvallis, which is regarded as a place of more 
than ordinary promise. Nearly all the towns 
along the Willamette have flouring mills, 
which turn tho immense crop of wheat into 
flour for proportionately cheaper transporta¬ 
tion. Tho State Agricultural College is at 
Corvallis, but it was after school hours when 
we reached tho building, where wo found no 
ono but a Chinaman, sleeping, There was 
nothing attractive about tho college —no trees 
no flowers, no beautifully kept grass. The town 
Itself is very prettily located on tho river, and 
1 saw one really attractive (lower garden, late 
as it was in the season. Throughout the 
country I had noted the dearth of wild autumn 
flowers, scarcely a stalk of golden rod or clump 
of purple asters. But I did see at some place 
between Corvallis and Portland, such pretty 
pink flowers—quite new to me—blooming by 
the road side, that when the train halted to 
take on water, I scrambled out and hastily 
gathered some. 
At the hotel at Corvallis, wo had the best 
food we had while in Oregon; it had such a 
homelike taste and we so much enjoyed it, 
that I ventured to speak of her table to the 
landlady, who superintended it personally, 
whereupon she told mo that her cook and all 
her kitchen “help” were Chinumen; that she 
paid her cook $10 a week, and tho two others 
$5 dollars each; that it would be impossible 
to keep a hotel on this coast without Chinese 
help, as it was the only kind that could be de¬ 
pended upon—white cooks would go off on a 
drunk, and as for women, they couldn’t be 
hired at all! In this town we ate of the fam- 
productive 
Barn. Fig. 522. 
