JUKE 30 
THE RURAL MEW- 
squashes, melons and pumpkins, froze one 
inch deep the first frost. As for No. 1 Hard 
Wheat, it was No. 1 Hard last, year, but very 
little was saved. lu this neighborhood most 
of the No. 1 Hard was sold for from -40 cents to 
65 cents per bushel. I do not think raising 
wheat on a small scale—to such an extent as a 
fanner with from $400 to $800 would be able 
to do—pays any better than working by the 
month at farm laborer’s wages. The labor 
and expence are worth more than the crop, to 
say nothing of the privations of living on a 
North Dakota prairie. In this vicinity any of 
the farmers would sell at a reasonable price if 
they could get a buyer, 1 am not acquainted 
with a farmer who met his debts last Fall lu 
1881 the dry weather and grass-hoppers nearly 
ruined the oat crop. I think F. F. J. must 
have ’'an ax to grind,” I have 480 acres of 
land for sale; but do not intend to “ go back to 
my wife's folks.” Call mo “tenderfoot,” or 
what you please. I can stand the cold 
weather, but it is not agreeable. E. S. 
Sanborn, D. T, 
OBSERVATIONS IN DAKOTA. 
I have read in several recent issues of the 
RURAL letters in regard to Dakota; and with¬ 
out toucliing on the merits of the points raised. 
I should like to state what I saw on a recent 
visit to that Territory. 
After reading a number of books issued by 
the Northern Pacific Railroad Co., and noting 
the geographical position of the city of Bis¬ 
marck, I concluded to go there. 1 left Now York 
City on the first of April, and I noticed par¬ 
ticularly that there was more or less snow on 
the ground until 1 reached Bismarck, and 
the lakes around Buffalo and Chicago 
were still solid with ice. When I reached 
Bismarck, however, I was somewhat sur¬ 
prised to find that the snow had been off the 
ground for several weeks previous; excepting 
a few patches in the ravines of the surround¬ 
ing country. The weather was quite mild 
and pleasant. From Bismarck 1 went about 25 
miles north. At a place called Painted Woods 
I stayed several days w ith one of the oldest 
settlers. He had been cultivating the land 
there for twelve years; and, although I have 
lived in New York City for eight years, where 
we ought to get the very best potatoes, yet 
those I ate at this settler’s were the finest po¬ 
tatoes I have ever .seen. This man told me 
that previous to coming there he had lived in 
Pennsylvania; and Said tliat anything that 
cau he grown in that Slate can be grown in 
Dakota, only in greater abundance. He 
showed me sugar eaue which he cultivated 
last year; and was so well pleased with the 
experiment that he was about sowing a crop 
this year. He has no difficulty whatever in 
raising all kinds of kitchen vegetables, includ¬ 
ing tomatoes, etc. The yield of onions and 
potatoes is simply enormous. The laud for 
the greater part is a rich, black loam, with a 
good depth, and a clay subsoil. There is, how¬ 
ever, very little timber excepting along the 
river banks; but coal is abundant in some 
sections. The reader w ill probably perceive 
ere he has read so far that I am a novice. But 
I was so well satisfied with what I saw that 1 
concluded to buy some railroad laud, with 
the intention of trying my hand at farming 
next year. At present ] work at the desk for 
a salary, but am getting tired of it; what do 
you think are my chances for success with a 
small family and a few hundred dollars? I 
have no knowledge whatever of fanning. Do 
you think the study of a Ixtok on the subject 
would benefit me, and which do you recom¬ 
mend? I forgot to mention that Bismarck is 
as orderly and quiet a little town as I ever set 
foot in, and the farmer with whom I stopped 
never had a lock on his door. 
A New-Yorker. 
Ans. —The study of good books will serve 
you well. You should visit farming districts 
on Long Island and New Jersey. The princi¬ 
ples of fanning arc everywhere the same. 
You will have to work hard in Dakota as 
elsewhere and deprive yourself for years of 
the comforts of Eastern homes. 
CENTRAL DAKOTA LAUDED. 
W ith regard to Prof. Stockbridge’s remarks 
on Dakota iu a late Rural, I dare to say that 
no man in las right senses could visit Central 
Dakota, anywhere along the line of the C. & 
N. W. It. R., and go away and speak un¬ 
favorably of it. 
I have spent three years in Beadle Co., and 
am well suited. 1 find all kinds of grains will 
grow and do well here. Corn yields from 00 
to 70 bushels per acre; oats, from 50 to 75; 
wheat f j on i 25 to 30 per acre. Bnrnll fruits do 
well, vegetables do very nicely. Cabbages 
were exhibited here last Fall weighing 30 
pounds each head. 1 like Dakota as an agri¬ 
cultural country, and cattle can be kept 
through the Winter, and well kept nit bay 
only, which costs but $1.25 per ton to put in 
the stack, and that grown upon land bought 
at Government price. So long as this can be 
d< me, I shall like it. as a stock-growing country. 
All kinds of stock do well here. This county 
was organized in July 1880, and very little 
land was taken at that date. To-day it is es¬ 
timated that the taxable property in the 
county will amount to $1,000,000. This 
readers of the Rural, and perhaps Prof. 
Stock bridge, will admit is a wonderful growth. 
The rush to Central Dakota is immense. There 
are no railroad land grants south of the North¬ 
ern Pacific R, R., aud very little printer’s ink 
has been spilt by the railroad over this portion 
of Dakota. This section will be occupied by 
small farmers. All the land is open for set¬ 
tlement that is surveyed east of the Missouri 
River, except sections No. 16 and 86 in each 
township, which arc set apart for educational 
purposes, and which will not come into mar¬ 
ket until the Territ ory becomes a Slate. When 
once a .State, these lands will afford a vast 
school fund. Dakota is no place for drones 
and loafers, but just the place for a man who 
is willing to work and has means enough to 
get a team, tools, and lumber to build a house. 
Deeded lands are worth from $6 to $12 an 
acre. These lands were obtained at Govern¬ 
ment price only a year or two ago. Now I 
say come and see for yourselves; take no one’s 
word, come and see. a. h. c. 
Huron, D. T. 
-♦ ♦ ♦- 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Alntminn. 
Sand Spring, Limestone Co , June 8.— I 
have just cut my Rural Surprise and Shuma¬ 
ker wheats (the Fultzo-Clawsou being yet in 
bloom). My laud is a yellow aud red—a light 
clay, sand and gravel mixture. In its wild 
state it produced large chestnut trees. High¬ 
land Huckleberries, and bill Sage Grass. It 
has been in cultivation four years without ma¬ 
nure, except ashes aud old rotten wood gath¬ 
ered when clearing the laud. After taking off 
a crop of corn last, year, I measured off a plot 
nme by eighty-four feet, plowing it deep and 
harrowing well. On that plot 1 put one one- 
horse wagon load of cow-yard manure, scraped 
off of a yard where three cows had been 
penned at nights during the past Summer. 
The manure was plowed shallow and the soil 
well raked with a garden rake. Then with 
line and hoe, I laid off seven rows the long 
way of the plot, fifteen inches apart, and 
dropped the seed by hand about four inches 
apart, covering it two or three inches deep. 
There being 55 grains of the Surprise, aud 500 
of the Shumaker and, 1244 of the Fultz-Claw- 
son, it took 20 feet of the first row for the Sur¬ 
prise; the remainder of that row aud the whole 
of the next one for the Shumaker, aud the 
other five rows for the Fultz-Clnwson. The 
seed was put in October 10, aud it was very 
dry weather for three or four weeks thereafter; 
and owing to the drought or some other cause 
the stand this Spring was only 25 Surprise, 160 
Shumaker and 380 Fultz-Clawson. It grew 
finely without rust or defect to an average 
bight of four feet, some heads reaching up to 
five feet. The yield of the Surprise from 25 
roots making 176 heads with an average of 89 
grains to the head, makes 6,864 grains, or 274 
from one seed growing. The Shumaker from 
160 roots bore 1316 heads, averaging 33 grains 
to the head, making 43,428 grains, or 271 from 
each growing seed. Our wheat generally— 
(what little there is sown iu this country) wilj 
be ready to cut iu eight or ten dayB. There is 
considerable nist among the late-sown crops. 
We had a cool and backward Spring, and all 
crops are one or two weeks later than usual. 
Corn and cotton arc small for this season; but 
there is generally a good stand, and it is free 
from grass and weeds. Fruit crops of all 
kinds are very promising now. vv. m. 
I«wn, 
Southern Iowa, June 5.—Spring opened 
very diseouragingly for farming operations— 
cold anil wet, with frost as late as May 22. Up 
to this date there lias been very little growing 
weather. Poor seed and deep planting have 
operated against the chances for a good corn- 
crop. From the present outlook I w ould not 
place the average over half a crop. Of course 
J line may make a change somewhat iu the 
outlook. Grass, flax and small grain look 
promising. Potatoes aud garden stuff in gen¬ 
eral are doing well, although the frost on May 
21 cut back some and lolled considerable on the 
lowlands. Fruits of all kinds raised here look 
well. “Subscriber.” 
Burlington, Des Moines Co., June 8.—The 
prospects for corn are not at all flattering. IVe 
are having raiu in abundance and that com¬ 
bined with bad seed, makes it very bud and it 
is now raining hard and has been for two 
hours, which will keep fanners out of the field 
for some days. Wheat is fair—not so good as 
last year. Oats look better than last year. 
Grass is good—almost too good. Fruit will be 
scarce except, small fruits which will be fair 
crops. The cold Winter destroyed thousands 
of apple trees; they have been cut down for 
fire-wood. Potatoes look very well. w. p. p. 
Kansas. 
I ola, Allen Co , June 11.—I lived here for 
about three years without strawberries; for 
the people here said they would not do well 
here; but two years this Spring I got 100 
plants in five varieties, and picked enough Emit 
the first season to pay the cost, and in ’82 I 
picked the largest berries 1 ever saw, one 
weighing 2 ounces, less 40 grains. This Spring 
I am satisfied they are a success Our Spring 
has been backward, but not more so than Inst 
Spring. u m. s. 
Topeka Shawnee Co., June 9. —“ 1 Uoughty 
Kansas ” is now having a surfeit of rain, de¬ 
laying the working of corn somewhat. A con* 
siderablo area had to be planted over. Wheat 
coming on grandly. Oats splendid—I meas¬ 
ured some to-day, sown May 1, that were three 
feet high. Green peas of home-growth were 
in market ten days ago. Home-grown new 
potatoes brought $2 per bushel for the first iu 
market. Later varieties looking well. In fact, 
the whole vegetable world is literally on a 
boom. Old corn 85c per bush.; oats, 29c to 
30c; wheat, 90c. to 95c.; butter, 12e. to 15c. 
Immigration double that of last year. Good 
improved farms in this county $30 to $50 per 
acre. m. m. 
ftlassacluisette. 
Foxboro, Norfolk Co., June 7.—I placed 
the Niagara grape seeds in moist loam in the 
cellar until May 1, and then planted them in 
open ground about three-quarters of an inch 
deep, and put one-half inch of fine rotted cow 
manure over them. There are to-day 21 vines 
up aud looking nice. j. h. p. 
Mlrlilgnii. 
Hopkins, Allegan Co., June 12.—March 
and April were dry months, not a drop of rain. 
On May 2 it began to rain and has rained 
a good share of the time since. Wheat 
promises about two-thirds of a crop compared 
with last year. It was badly killed out in the 
early Spring, but it has picked up amazingly, 
since May 1. Corn not all planted yet, owing 
to continued wot weather; outlook poor. 
Grass good. Fruit promises a fair crop. 
Everything late; wheat not headed out yet. 
My Fultzo-Clawsou wheat plot looks rather 
slim on account of not coming up well last 
Fall, and winter-killing, though there art- 
some line stools. From a little potato the 
Rural sent me two years ago 1 got $10.50 
tin's Spring, beside three bushels I have planted. 
1 have 20 plants from the Niagara grape 
seeds. h. de l. 
flliaMOiirl. 
Eldon, Miller Co., June 10.— Farmers are 
much behind with work; the season has been 
unfavorable. A cold, late, wet Spring retarded 
work and also kept crops back. Farmers are 
through planting. Corn came up well and 
had just started to grow when we had a bad 
frost on May 21, and another on the 22; of 
coursa these dul uot kill the corn entirely, but 
the large leaves were blackened and killed. 
On low, wet land or where the corn laid been 
cultivated the damage was considerably worse. 
The same might be said of potatoes, beaus, etc. 
The damage in gardens was considerable, and 
it will lake some days for the plauts to make 
a start again. N. j. s. 
Opel, Sullivan Co., June 12.—Spring was 
cold and backward. The weather was very 
dry in April, which gave farmers a chance to 
get in small grain. May was too wet anil 
cold for corn to come up well, hundreds of 
acres had to be planted over. Wheat, oats, 
meadows and grass look well. A greater acre¬ 
age than common lias been sown to oats. 
Fruit will be scarce. Grape vines badly win¬ 
ter killed; no peaches at ail, aud very few ap- 
ples; cattle and hogs are high. Two-year-old 
steers are w orth $80 per head. Hogs $6.50 per 
cwt. Sheep about all shorn; wool worth 
from J 6 to 20c. per pound. L. n. t. 
New .loraoy. 
Montclair, Essex Co., Juno 3.—Our weath¬ 
er is charming—just right for work, and I am 
able to keep pegging away at it from early 
morn till late at night. Planting and trans¬ 
planting have been the order for the day for a 
month or more, and not done yet. Crops 
looking well. Strawberries very promising up 
to this time; Grapes ditto, but the ordeal is to 
come yet. Never have I seen Spiraeas, Wie- 
gelas, etc., more abundant in bloom, or retain¬ 
ing it longer than this season. No storms or 
other causes to prevent. Nature so far seems 
to have done her best. e. w. 
New York, 
Naples, Ontario Co,, June 9. In this sec¬ 
tion Winter wheat is almost a failure, many 
farmers having turned it under and sowed 
barley or Spring wliout. Spring graiu, grass 
etc,, looking fine. The fruit prospect is good; 
treos bloomed full. Corn is all planted and 
earning up nicely. The cold, long Winter 
makes hay scarce; it is worth from $10 to $12 
per ton; eggs, 16 to 17 cents per doz.; butter, 
16 to 18 cents per pound. c. L. 
North CnrolInP. 
Hickory, Catawba Co., June 12.—Wheat, 
and rye good; oats not a full crop and short; 
corn will be late. Freshets have done much 
damage on the low bottoms; good weather this 
week. Small crops of tobacco will ho planted 
tliis season owing to a short crop of plants, s. 
Henderson Co., June 12.—A cold, wet, dis¬ 
mal Winter and Spring up to May 1st, with 
heavy rains, doing much damage, washing 
away mill-dams and bridges, besides retarding 
all farm operations. Planting was generally 
two weeks late, and, besides, the land was un¬ 
fitted for the seed in many cases, May was 
dry and cold. Seeds of all kinds germinated 
slowly, if at all. Replanting was generally 
resorted to for corn, and in some instances for 
cotton also: but now the prospect is more 
cbecriug. Abundant rains for the last, week 
or 10 days with the temperature creeping up 
into the nineties, have worked a wondrous 
change in the fields and gardens. Wheat will 
be, judging from the present outlook, about 
two weeks later tlmn last year, and not more 
than three-fourths of last year’s yield. Corn 
and cotton small, yet there is time enough for 
those, with favorable weather and good culti¬ 
vation, to make full crops. Tobacco short for 
lack of plants. Apples very few; peaches al¬ 
most none, except seedlings; grapes are heav¬ 
ily laden and we have not much to fear for 
them now: of course a hail-storm might, de¬ 
stroy our hopes, and in some localities the 
fruit is liable to rot. The cry comes up from 
all over the land, “Too much cotton?' but it 
seems to go unheeded by the planters. The 
usual acreage planted. m. b. p. 
Peiionylvanin, 
Gibson, Rusq, Co., June 12.—Our season has 
been very cold and late, but it is very warm 
now. We liuve had some nice warm rains, 
and it is a good growing time. Grass looks 
well. Oats are backward. Corn is just com¬ 
ing up, Wheat bids fair to be a good crop. 
Potatoes are coming up with plenty of bugs. 
Fruit of all kind is setting well. n. s. t. 
White House, Cumberland Co., June 11.— 
I have now growing 34 different varieties of 
wheat. Wysor’s Eureka was the first to come 
into head. We have had a very backward 
Spring, so we are from eight to ten days later 
than usual with all our Spring work. Wheat 
has a good appearance so far, but the Hessian 
fly is very bad in some of the early-sown fields. 
The farmers in this community had great 
trouble to get, their corn to grow this Spring; 
some of them had to plant three times, j. o. 
V ei-nionf. 
Shelburne, Chittenden Co , June 13.—In¬ 
dications all favor a bountiful harvest , though 
of course, there is plenty of time for ruining 
present, prospects. The grass crop cannot 
avoid being remarkably heavy; haying will 
commence earlier than usual this season. 
Grain looks well, as do corn and potatoes; tilt- 
last two crops, however, were got in rail hi 
late in numerous cases. The apple crop will, 
no doubt, lie large, but orchards blossomed 
very unevenly this season, lu some the trees 
did not half blossom; in others, they were 
loaded. This is till- ‘‘bearing year” for this lo¬ 
cality. Tent caterpillars were never more 
numerous. What few small fruits there are 
present a fine appearance, with the exception 
of currants, which appear to he dropping off 
badly. More blitter is being made iu tiiis sec¬ 
tion than usual. W. U. R. 
Troy, Orange Co , June 12.—The past two 
seasons have been wet and cold, and farmers 
on clay soil are behind in their Spring work. 
Others have their crops all in The prospect 
for hay is good. There is an increase in the 
area of hops. Potatoes and corn about the 
same as usual. There will bo quite an increase 
in the area of oats and hurley on account of 
t he grass winter-killing a year ago last Win¬ 
ter. Butter is lmv. Huy scarce in this local¬ 
ity. Potatoes rather scarce aud worth 60 to 
75 cents per bushel No potato bugs yet. a. u. 
Yir«iiiln. 
Bufordyille, Bedford Co., Juno 10.—With 
us the latter part of March, and the month of 
April were wet and cold; since May 1, the 
weather has been very dry. Early-sowed 
wheat, looks well; but how it will fill aud ma¬ 
ture without rain remains to be seen. Late 
wheat (and the larger portion of the crop 
was sowed late) is heading out with the short¬ 
est heads I ever saw: therefore the yield will 
be light. Harvest will commence between 
June 15 and 2<>. Corn was planted late and 
is coining up very badly on account of the 
drought; area planted less than last year. 
Winter oats badly killed out,, and Spring oats 
will bo a failure. Last Spring ill rough all 
this section the farmers got. a good stand of 
clover;but owing to the dry weather the crop 
will he a short, one. Norye or barley cultivated 
through this portion of the State. Tobacco 
planters are watering their plant bads; pros- 
