FES 3 
from three to six years old set in a grove. W e 
are very ranch pleased with Florida and par¬ 
ticularly with our neighborhood, which is 
fa.=t being settled with people mostly from 
New York and other Northern States, ble. 
[We would be p 1 eased to know from Mrs. 
R. if there are malarial troubles at and about 
Leesburg.— Eds.] 
Illinois. 
Wayne, Du Page Co.—Planted 179 kernels 
of Thoroughbred Flint Corn on June 1; 149 
germinated: cut September 25; weight of 
ears, Nov. I, 89 pounds; weight of shelled 
corn, Nov. 4, 55 pounds. This is a good fod¬ 
der corn; but it will not do for a field crop, 
as it is as late as the dent we raise here, and 
does not yield as well. a. f. k. 
Indiana. 
Brookvillk, Franklin Co., Jan. 15.—The 
Rural Dant Corn is the b9*t sort 1 ever raised. 
The squash seed didn't germinate Celery 
splendid. Of the hollyhocks I got 20 nice 
plants. J- w. 
I own. 
Scott Co., Iowa.—In the 8pring of 1881 I 
received from the Rural, besides other seeds, 
a package of Washington Oats. That being a 
late Spring, they were sown on May 1 in clay 
soil, medium rich. The broad leaves and 
thick straw gave the appearance of a disease- 
resisting variety; but, as the oats approached 
maturity, they became severely subject to 
rust. As this, however, was a striking fea¬ 
ture with all the oats of this locality in that 
year, it was natural that the Washington 
Oats would not be an exception. The quality 
of the grain was fair, though nothing extra. 
On account of the ravages by squirrels the 
exact yield could not be determined. I was 
not discouraged by this failure, so that every 
grain was carefully harvested to furnish seed 
for another trial. This seed—about a peck— 
was sown at the same time as White Russian, 
on April 15, 1882. The soil was black loam 
and very rich. The plot had previously been 
sod. They outgrew the White Russian very 
soon. The growth was extraordinary; stems 
were produced half-an-inch in diameter and 
leaves one inch broad. The vigorous growth 
and fine appearance of this variety gave 
promise of a heavy yield; but, alas! an early 
rust confirmed its worthlessness for this lati¬ 
tude. With heavy rust upon it, the thick 
straw broke down before the oats were fully 
mature—and this in a season that was gener¬ 
ally regarded as favorable for oats, and when 
other kinds were almost exempt from rust. 
On account of its inclination to rust, this va¬ 
riety, though ripening early, is not suitable 
for this soil or climate. c. L. 
Kansas. 
Pittsburg, Mitchell Co.— I had a number 
of Gem Squashes, but they were diminished 
in number and injured in quality by squash 
bugs. I have a nice lot of Lima Bean seed 
for another year. Ouly one holly hock. e m c. 
Michigan. 
Be\r Lake, Manistee Co, January 6.— 
From a peck of White Elephant potatoes, 
planted June 1, we obtained eight bushels. 
Tnink that was doing welt considering the 
blight; and for some unkaown reason a good 
many of the hills never sent forth a sprout. 
Three Gem Squash seeds grew and yielded a 
nice lot of delicious fruit; but they blossomed 
a long, long time before a single “gem” 
made Its appearance; yet a number ripened, 
so we had plenty of opportunities to test their 
delicious qualities. I did not succeed in 
growing celery; but shall try again next 
year, as 1 did not sow ali my seed last Spring. 
Some of mv dianthuses bloomed all Summer 
and were very handsome, but one large, 
healthy looking plant never gave a single 
blossom. Hope it will show its color next 
year. Hibiscus shrubs prospered well. The 
Rural Dent Corn grew to be about 12 feet 
high; the ears set six feet from the ground, 
about September 1, but Jack Frost visited us 
before they began to fill. The stalks looked 
like a grove of saplings. Oolv two of the 
hollyhock seeds came up; but both grew 
-plendidly. The wheat was sown September 
12 and came up in a very few days, and 
^rew nicely all the Fall. M E. a. 
§'v Nebraska. 
Dorchester, Saline Co.— I prize the White 
' j Elephant Potato very highly. My last crop 
was 2>< bushels. The Ennobled Oats smutted 
badly. The Rural wheats never amounted to 
anything. The Rural Dent corn did not all 
grow; what did grow throve very well. The 
and the leaves looked as though they had 
been scorched. Many supposed a storm of 
vivid and continuous lightning to be the cause 
of the falling of the fruit and blighting of the 
leaves. The plums too were attacked by the 
curculio, which we bad hoped would never 
find its way to this northern clime. But in 
spite of all these ravages there was a splendid 
exhibit of fruit at the fair—apples, peaches, 
plums and grapes surpassiugly beautiful to 
look upon, and delicious to the taste, and I 
learned upon inquiry that those who had 
ment shows that it is not a complete food 
ration. A meal ration adapted to the animal 
and the desired result, must be fed with it. 
The Winter was exceptionally favorable for 
the feeding of fodder of this character on 
account of its extreme mildness, the mean 
temperature having been about 28 degrees 
during the time embraced in the feeding. 
With severe weather the results might be less 
favorable. The experiments will lie continued 
another season. Several varieties of corn, 
sugar cane, millet, and other forage crops, 
grains already planted. They were altogether 
as fine a lot of ears as was ever grown. 8ome 
neighbors could hardly believe I raised such 
corn, others that saw It growing wanted seed, 
in fact I have not enough to supply demand. 
J. K. McManus. 
[The above report, was held for details. The 
yield is at the rate of 222 bushels shelled corn 
per acre, being third on the list.] 
iiXiscfUattfdus 
Ensilage atthe Michigan Agricultural 
College. —We condense the following from 
the report of Professor Samuel Johnson, who 
is also Superintendent of the College Farm. 
The silo was built in one corner of the base¬ 
ment of a new grain barn, and its inside 
measurement was 14x16 feet, with walls eight 
feet high. It9 cost was $151 80. Cutting of 
corn for the silo was begun on Sept. 13. The 
corn was cut up In pieces about one half inch 
in length. Planks two inches thick and eight 
inches wide were used to cover the Rilo and 
these were weighted with stones at the rate 
of 900 pounds to the square yard. The cost 
of raising the com and Dutting it into the silo 
is estimated at about $40. There was no out¬ 
ward sign of any change going on within the 
silo. Only a temporary roof was over it for 
some time, and on one or two occasions it 
was left in such shape as to receive some rain. 
On December 15th the silo was opened. The 
ensilage was found to be nicely preserved. 
There was no mould next to the plank or 
sides worth mentioning, and there was not one 
per cent, of waste. The thorough exclusion 
of the air is the secret of its preservation. It 
matters but little what materials are used for 
the silo—lumber, stone, or merely pits—if the 
air is onlv excluded the fodder will be pre¬ 
served. Not one of the least important con¬ 
siderations of ensilage is the fact that so large 
an amount of it can be packed in a compar¬ 
atively small space. A cubic foot of ensilage 
from the silo will weigh 35 pounds. From 
five to six p*r cent, of the live weight of the 
animal will be a dally ration, or from 50 to 
75 pound* for an ordinary cow. It is thus an 
easy matter to compute the number of cubic 
feet necessary to contain the food for a cer¬ 
tain number of animals. The silo at the Col¬ 
lege is 14x15 feet inside the walls, and eight 
feet high, containing 1,680 cubic feet. Allow¬ 
ing 40 pounds to the cubic foot, we have 
a capacity for almost 39 tons of ensilage, or 
enough to feed five cows for 200 days a daily 
ration of 60 pounds each. When we take 
into the account the large weights that can 
be packed in a small silo it seems that this 
promises to be the most economical method of 
providing shelter for fodder—no small item 
farmers who are not well supplied with 
buildings The ensilage was slightly acid in 
taste, quite brown in color when first tak*m 
from the silo, but, after exposure to the air 
a short time, regained largely its fresh, green 
appearance. The cattle, from the start, with 
a few pxceptious. ate it with avidity. The 
aim of the experiment was to determine the 
comparative value of ensilage as a cattle 
food for the production of milk, flesh and 
growth. With this aim in view, the en- 
eiluge was fed in place of roots, and as a 
full or partial substitute for the dry, rough 
feeds. We have no space for the interesting 
and valuable tables given in the report, hence 
we simply give the comparative feeding value 
and cost of ensilage. The meal fed to the 
cows was worth $22 40 per ton. That fed to 
the bull calves, $25 Hay was worth $10, and 
cornstalks and oat straw each $5 per ton, and 
rutabagas 40 cents per bushel. Compared 
with the other feeds at the above rates, the 
ensilage had a feeding value four times the 
cost of growing the crop and putting it into 
the silo. Professor Johnson was not at all 
sanguine, when he began the experiment, as 
to the decided merits of ensilage as claimed 
by many writers, but he is greatly pleased 
with the results of the feeding. The con¬ 
venience in handling the prepared fodder; the 
large amount that can be stored in a small 
space; the avidity with which cattle eat it 
and thrive and grow when a meal ration is 
fed with it; the fact that it can be stored in 
a wet time, during lowery weather, when 
fodder could not be cured ; the furnishing of 
succulent food for stock during our long Win¬ 
ters at very small cost—these are some of the 
reasons that lead him to think the ensllaglug 
of corn especially will prove to be a practical 
and profitable method of preparing food for 
stock. He thinks it may take the place of roots 
and be a cheap substitute for them. He is dis¬ 
posed to believe that the beat results will he 
secured by feeding one dally ration of dry fod¬ 
der in connection with the ensilage. The exper¬ 
ts’o 1961), P N. S. B — Fig. 53. 
bearing orchards would have a good supply 
for home consumption and *ome to spare, a. 
North Carolina. 
Yanceyville, Caswell Co.— The farmers 
of our county have gathered one of the most 
abundant crops that has ever been grown in 
this country. The tobacco crop was very 
large and of fine quality and it was cure l up 
splendidly. There was a larger yield of wheat 
than was ever before known here and it was 
of good quality. Corn an abundant crop and 
well marured. Oats good, those that were 
sown in the Fall especially so. People are 
cheerful. We are all in favor of takirg the 
tax off tobacco but we don't care if the Uni¬ 
ted States would levy a tax on whiskey so 
heavy that enough of it to make a man drunk 
would cost him 1100. x. L. 
Kansas. 
Pittsburg, Mitchell Co —This is not a year 
when this State can be called “Starving 
Kansas,” as we have plenty of fruit, vege¬ 
tables, wheat, oats and corn.. Though the 
latter is not quite an average crop we have 
enough for feed. We get good prices for all 
our surplus products; indeed I believe this 
little town affords the best market in all the 
Southwest. kmc. 
Oregon, 
Shedd, Linn Co., Oregon.—Fall and Win¬ 
ter, down to New Year’s, have been warm and 
pleasant—fine for farm-work, and farmers 
have improved it by sowing a larger amount 
of FaU wheat than usual, and it looks well. 
Wheat sells at 82 cents per bushel; oats, 50 
cents; potatoes, 50 cents; butter. SO cents per 
Percheron Stallion “ Almo, 
have been planted to ascertain as far as may 
be their comparative values f r ensilage. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPOKTS, 
Michigan. 
Bear Lake, Manistee Co., Jan. 6. —The 
past season was wet and cold; but crops, with 
the exception of corn, were good for this lo¬ 
cality; wheit averaged a fraction over 15 
bushels per acre and oats went a friction 
over 36 bushels. Those who were fortunate 
enough to get in their corn early had a fair 
crop. But many old and experienced farm¬ 
ers waited for the weather to get warmer, 
which brought a good deal of corn planting 
rather late. Gardens were much less pro¬ 
ductive than usual. Melons were quite a 
failure except in very few cases; yet at our 
county fair there was a very creditable exhi¬ 
bition of vegetables. Some pumpkins weigh¬ 
ing 80 'ner.hiug over 80 pounds, were on exhi¬ 
bition There was a good showing of pota¬ 
toes of various kinds, among them the 
Beanty of Hebron. But the premiums were 
awarded to the so-called best early variety 
and to the best late variety; and as the julges 
knew nothing of the new varieties, the pre¬ 
miums were given to some mammoth Early 
aud Lite Rose; so the Beauty, Chicago Mar¬ 
ket, Excelsior, etc., were taken home without 
any acknowledgement of their re illy good 
qualities. But the potatoes, especially the 
