3,rd)ii£ctHt:£. 
A GENERAL-PURPOSE BARN. 
Having several old farm buildings very 
much in need of repairs, and, withal, not very 
convenient, I concluded that the best and 
cheapest way to improve my outbuildings 
would be, instead of repairing each separately} 
to utilize all of the old building materials I 
could, and put them all in one. The result has 
proved the correctness of my conclusion, iu_ 
asmuch as I have between 36,000 and 40,000 
cubic feet more room in the new than 1 had 
in all my old buildings combined, from the 
addition of not over 1,000 feet of siding and a 
very few shingles. I took down all but the 
old barn and the building which forms the 
“L” on the northeast corner. The old barn 
being low, I raised it up on short posts to the 
desired bight, then attached the new the re. 
quired length. It is well adapted to mixed 
farming, or may with propriety lie called a 
“general purpose” barn. After putting it to 
practical use I have thus far failed to dis¬ 
cover wherein I could have bettered it for con¬ 
venience and for the combination of uses for 
which it was designed. It stands 80 feet from 
the highway, upon a stone foundation laid in 
mortar, all on a level, without a basement, if 
is 125 feet long and 45 feet wide and 24 feet 
high from foundation to top of plates. It has 
a 20-inch projection all around, with two large 
ventilators on the top, eight feet square, hav¬ 
ing blinds on each side that can be opened or 
closed as required. The “L” is 50 feet long 
and 22 feet wide and stands on the same founda¬ 
tion as the barn. The several divisions of the 
barn are:—First, a sheep-pen 13x42 feet; the 
main barn floor, 32x45 feet, out of which I 
take the granary, 12x20, leaving 25 feet of 
barn floor, over which the mow or loft used 
for grain extends as far as the granary, leav¬ 
ing 24 feet of barn floor dear. The mow 
covers the sheep-pen and granary, and is 25x 
45 feet. That part reaching over the floor, 
spoken of above, is supported by three posts. 
That part of the floor is used for setting out 
of the way, any thing in use on a bain floor, 
and is also used for feeding sheep. Having a 
door in the partition, we can set a tread-power 
thrashing machine and cleaner on the main 
floor, throw the grain from the mow to the 
feeder, and take the grain direct from the 
machine in the granary without going more 
than five or six feet, and can pitch the straw 
over the granary into the “L,” or over the cow 
stable without going out of doors or wasting 
any of the straw. 
Next, to this comes the cow stable, 23x45 feet, 
with two rows of stanchions; one row of cattle 
to be fed from the barn floor; the other from 
the drive-way between the horses and cows. 
Through the center of the stable J have a 
platform 7)4 feet wide; and the doors being 
eight feet wide, 1 can drive a team through 
to draw the manure out. Every door on the 
east side has a corresponding door on the west, 
so I can go in or out either way. The doors 
of the barn floor and drive-way, between the 
horse and cow stables, are all 12 feet square, 
with a large 18-light window over each door. 
There are also four half windows in the cow 
stable, two in each end. The horse stable is 
16 feet wide and has a window in each door 
There are seven single .stalls and a large box 
stall. The wagon-house is 29x45 feet, has two 
doors connecting with the horse stable, and has 
two large windows for light. There are three 
large windows in the south end, and three in 
the north, besides two half windows in the 
sheep-pen. I can enter my sheep-pen under 
the shed and pass through the whole length of 
the barn without going out of doors, having 
small doors in every partition. I have 114 
feet of tracks for unloading hay and grain, 
and two gutters on both sides of the barn, and 
the yard side of the shed to take the water 
away. The small building, 80x24 feet, is used 
for storing farm implements below, and choice 
lumber above. The plan, Fig. 178, this page, 
will give a general idea of all arrangements. 
£l)f Apiarian, 
INFLUENCE OF FOOD. 
PROP. A. J. COOK. 
We often hear fanners remark that food 
has more to do with fine stock than does pedi¬ 
gree. While we do not think this is true, yet 
we must confess that good feeding is no mean 
factor in successful stock breeding. Long and 
careful breeding, indexed by a valuable pedi¬ 
gree, insures susceptibility, which makes great 
results possible, but only with proper care. A 
50 horse-power engine possesses great potency, 
but on one-fourth rations of fuel it would ac¬ 
complish less than a f en-horse power. Yet it 
would be foolish to argue that fuel was more 
important than the style of the engine. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
APRIL SI 
Among higher animals we have no evidence 
that food produces rapid structural changes. 
Food, selection and time will change the form, 
carcass, and even the habits, but only after 
long years of modification. Among lower 
animals we have some startling facts that 
show most graphically that food is sometimes 
a most powerful agent, able to effect a radi¬ 
cal structural change in a very brief time. 
We all know that, in the main, the animal 
functions are very similar, even though studied 
in animals which are 
struetually wide apart. 
The now generally ac¬ 
cepted philosophy that 
all animals have a com¬ 
mon ancestry should 
lead us to give wise con¬ 
sideration to the pecu¬ 
liarities of lower animals, 
even in our treatment 
of the higher forms. If. 
then, we can show that 
food is potent to substan¬ 
tially modify the entire 
organism and life habits of bees, it should 
serve to exalt our estimate of its value 
and influence as affecting the higher an¬ 
imals. The same egg may, yea will, produce 
either a worker bee or a queen, the character 
of the progeny depending solely upon the 
character and quantity of the food consumed. 
If the food is rich and abundant the result, is a 
queen bee. If it is lee: nourishing and stinted 
in quantity, a worker bee is the result. Even 
after the egg hatches, the young larva may be 
fed for three days in the meager way, then 
fed the richer food in ample supply, and a 
queen w ill result, though not so valuable a 
Bees Tongue—Fig. m. 
a natural cross with it and the tall species. It 
is very early to ripen its fruit, which matures 
in two weeks. It was named about 1854, in 
honor of John Wilson of Burlington, N. J,, w T ho 
discovered it. At the Rural Grounds this va¬ 
riety is worthless, not being hardy enough, 
apparently, to endure the climate. 
The Col. Wilder is a variety that bears 
cream-colored fruit, but we have never tried 
it and should be glad to hear from those who 
have. 
The Crystal White is another “white 1 
blackberry that is offered in several catalogues 
and thrives quite well in some places, though 
too tender for us. 
Dr. Warder bears berries of a red color. 
It was named in honor of our respected con¬ 
tributor, Dr. John A. Warder, of Ohio. We 
cannot speak of its value. 
Western Triumph we have cultivated for 
10 years, though only as one of a collection, for 
from some cause, it rarely bears fruit. Accord¬ 
ing to Mr. Fuller, from whom we procured our 
plants, this variety was found in Lake Co., Ill., 
by Wm. Biddle of Waukegan. The plants 
are said to he “ wonderfully hardy, pro¬ 
ductive aud vigorous,” the berry large, sweet, 
juicy, though soft 
Taylor’s Prolific is very hardy indeed. 
The berries are small, but sweet, and the 
plants are highly productive. 
The Snyder is with us, thus far, our most, 
trustworthy variety. It is very hardy and 
bears every year an immense crop. The ber¬ 
ries are of excellent quality, though smaller 
thRn those of the Kittatiuny or Lawton. 
The ICittatinny is praiseworthy in every 
way, though less hardy than the Snyder. The 
one as though fed the rich royal pabulum in 
generous quantities from the first. 
Now, let us see what the changes are that 
are wrought by these improved good rations. 
The queen is longer and slimmer than the 
worker bees, and her ovaries are feebly devel¬ 
oped, capable of growing daily from 2,000 to 
3,000 eggs. On the other hand, there is a more 
feeble development of such organs as are used 
iu procuring food aud performing the various 
operations of the hive. Thus the queen has no 
pollen baskets, her jaws, as compared with 
those of the workers, are weak, her tongue 
short (see cut, Fig. 177), and her glandular sys¬ 
tem aud stomach are more fully developed. 
Thus a simple modification of the food regi¬ 
men produces sterility in the workers, which 
are only sterile females, while the organs that 
are more intimately connected with nutri¬ 
tion are more strongly developed. It would 
seem that the fowl is too slight to stimulate 
the growth of the ovaries, which leaves an ex 
cess of force which is appropriated iu a more 
decided development of the special organs 
which minister to nutrition. If food can do 
all this with bees, it certainly may be regarded 
as a very important element in the develop¬ 
ment and care of our higher animals. 
berries are large, jet black, quite firm and 
sw'eet and the plants are vigorous and pro¬ 
ductive. It ripens rather earlier than the 
Lawton, and continues to ripen through a long 
season. Last Summer berries ripened through 
the entire season until frost. This was found 
about 25 years ago growing wild near the Kite 
tatinny Mountains iu Now Jersey, and after¬ 
wards introduced by the Messrs. Williams of 
Montclair, New Jersey. We hero express our 
indebtedness to E. P. Rowe, of Corn wull-on- 
the-Hudson, for the use of the fine cut from 
nature presented at Fig. 179, page 249. 
The Lawton or New' Rochelle is very 
productive aud a rank grower; but it is rather 
tender, and the berries, until they arc dead- 
ripe, are sour. When dead-ripe they are too 
soft for marketing. This was found by L. A. 
Seacor uear New Rochelle, Westchester Co., 
New r York, 
In setting a blackberry patch or plantation 
the plants should be placed five by six feet 
apart. The soil, if too rich, induces a late 
growth, which does not fully ripen, und is, 
therefore, the more liable to winter-ldll. All 
kinds of blackberries sucker freely. The 
suckers should be hoed up except those needed 
for next year’s canes. Some cut back the new 
growth to four or five feet aud the laterals to 
a foot. Iu this case staking may be dispensed 
with, but we prefer a good, strong stake five 
feet above ground to each plant. 
BLACKBERRIES. 
Of all the small fruits less attention has been 
given to improving the blackberry than any 
other, and in many countries it is not culti¬ 
vated at all. Even here, where the blackberry 
is most prized, we have few varieties w’bich 
are really worthy of cultivation. 
The Dorchester is a good market variety, 
with quite hardy, strong canes, though leas 
productive than several others. It was raised 
iu Dorchester, Mass., and introduced in 1850. 
The fruit is large, rich and sweet. 
Wilson’s Early bears very large berries 
which are firm and sweet. It is said to be a 
sport of the trailing blackberry, or perhaps 
flttwctll&ncous . 
CATALOGUES, ETC., RECEIVED. 
J. A. Field & Co., corner Eighth und How¬ 
ard Streets, St. Louis, Mo. Report (60 pages) 
of the Mississippi Valley Caue-Growers’ Asso¬ 
ciation at 8t, Ijouis last December. The full 
proceedings are here collected together, aud 
they give about all the information that is at 
present known in regard to the sorghum in¬ 
dustry. It w ill be sent to all applicants. 
R. F. Mast & Co., Springfield, O. A finely 
illustrated manual of farming implements and 
machines manufactured at the Buckeye Agri¬ 
cultural Works, including the well-known 
Buckeye Grain Drills, Broad-cast Seeders, 
Riding and Walking Cultivators, Spring- 
tooth Sulky Harrows, Plow Sulkies, Cidej- 
Mills, etc. Sent free to applicants. 
The Agricultural Insurance Company 
of Watertown, N. Y., appeal’s to be unique 
iu its line, in that it has net assets of nearly 
a million und a half dollars and insures only 
farm property aud private residences. This 
is a safe, conservative policy inasmuch as 
it thus escapes the risks of disastrous losses 
which have bankaupted so many insurance 
companies in large cities, where extensive 
fires often destroy millions of property at one 
fell sweep. A prosperous career of 30 years 
affords ample proof of the wisdom of the 
course chalked out and strictly followed by 
this organization. During this period it hus 
never lost over $5,000 by any one fire although 
it has paid $3,725,000 to the owners of privute 
residences and farm property' for losses by fire 
aud lightning. 
John S. Carter, 28 and 30 James Street* 
Syracuse, N. Y. A very handsome, illus; 
trated catalogue of apparatus and supplies for 
cheese factories, creameries and dairies. 
Nebraska State University, Llueoln, Neb. Report 
of the Industrial College, including Experiments on 
the College Farm. Professor S. R. Thompson, Dean 
of the College. 
Bradley & Co., Syracuse, N, Y. circular, giving il¬ 
lustrations of road carts of various patterns with 
full details as to the materials used, construction and 
prices. 
Pacific Gua.no Co.. Boston. Mass. Catalogue of Sol - 
uble Pacific Guano manufactured by the above com¬ 
pany. 
C H. Hovey & Co, 60 Tremout Street, Boston, Mass. 
Illustrated catalogue of seed for the garden and farm. 
The Hinsdale Cheap Gun. 
Mr. L. Swartz, of Easton, Maryland, sends 
us a complaint of the manner iu which he was 
treated by E. J. Hinsdale & Co., 252 Broadway, 
N. Y., who have several times advertised cheap 
guns in the Rural. “They promised to send 
the gun, free of charge, for $7.50,” says Mr. 
Swartz. “I sent the money, but had to pay the 
express charge—50 cents. The gun is praised 
for its excellence for ball, shot, etc., etc.; 
but it is nothing more than a ltu-ge five- 
chamber revolver, worth perhaps $2.50 to those 
who need a revolver of the sort. Having no 
use for it, I wrote to the firm requesting them 
to take it back und either send me the money 
or a good gun to shoot with, but they treated 
my letter with silent contempt.” We have 
received several other complaints from our 
readers w'ith regard to the dealings of this firm, 
and have therefore decided not to admit their 
advertisement to our columns again, or indeed 
any advertisements of cheap gnus. 
Farmers cannot be too careful how- they 
spend their money for chemical fertilizers. In 
the last report of the Conn. Ex. Station, Prof. 
S. W. Johnson gives the result of an analysis 
of a sample of “Powell's Prepared Chemicals,” 
which was advertised in the American Agri - 
culturist as follows: “For $12 a farmer can 
buy a formula 1520 pounds) of Powell’s Pre¬ 
pared Chemicals. Tins, when mixed at home, 
makes one ton of superior phosphate, equal iu 
plant-life and as certain of successful crop- 
production as many high-priced phosphates. 1 ’ 
A device, resembling a trade mark, bears the 
words, "Purity.” "Quality not quantity.” 
“This is a superphosphate,” Prof. Johnson 
remarks, "of rather low grade; its cost is 
$46,15 per ton and its estimated value $30.37. 
Five hundred and twenty pounds of it 'mixed 
at home, would require the addition of 1.480 
pounds of something better than itself to make 
‘one ton of superior phosphate.’ ” 
• - 
We have received a fine sumple of sugar 
manufactured from Amber Cane grown in 
1882 on the experimental farm of the Univers¬ 
ity of Wisconsin, at Madison. The data of the 
largest plat of cane made into sugar were as 
follows: 
Area of plat,..... 8% acres. 
Weight of stripped eaue. 75,262 pounds. 
Per cent, of eaue sugar In Julee. 9.89 
Per cent, of glucose In julee. 3.95 
Amount of sugar separated: 
First crystallization.2,116)4pounds. 
Second crystallization. 730 
Total amount of sugar.2,846)4 “ 
Sirup drained from the sugar, 310 gallons. 
Seed obtained, 76 bushels of 51 pounds each. 
The cost of manufacturing the unrefined su¬ 
gar was for all expenses, including the cost of 
the cane, but excepting the puy of the chemist 
in charge, 4Uj cents per pound. The value of 
the cane seed is not taken into account in the 
