Front. Fipw 
AU§ A 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
4S7 
the turfy and marshy conditions necessary for 
certain plants, to the dry and calcarious re¬ 
quired by other species. There are light 
silieious lands as well as heavy clays. With 
due. care and judgment the collections are 
now established under the conditions most 
favorable to the several species of plants. The 
trees are generally planted in lines beside the 
road -ways. The shrubs are grouped in two 
nurseries or plantations; one begun in 1858 
embraces about one hectare (2.471 acres), the 
other, begun in 1874, covers three hectares 
(nearly 7Vtj acres). It is divided into two 
parte, separated by alleys, three meters (near¬ 
ly 10 feet) wide and subdivided into 000 beds, 
each 1.00 meter (about 5% feet) in extent, sep¬ 
arated by narrow paths. These beds have a 
total length of about five kilometers (5,350 
yards or 072 rods, rather more than three 
miles). The most perfect order is maintained 
in the arrangement, as each plant is ticketed 
and its position is recorded ou a plat of large 
scale whore at once can be seen the history 
of any successive changes made in the park. 
in every such scientific establishment for 
cultivation, the climatic conditions should be 
carefully studied, and all atmospheric phen¬ 
omena punctually noted and recorded; thus a 
regular meteorological station has been here 
established. Daily records are made of the 
barometer, of the thermometer, both wet and 
dry bulbs,of the maxima and the minima tein- 
peratures,pluviometer,and of the temperature 
and llow of the springs. Lately, Mr. La valine 
has added also a series of observations on the 
temperature of the soil. 
With few exceptions, trees have climatolog¬ 
ical requirements that are often of very 
narrow limits, and they perish if they be not 
supplied with the conditions that resemble 
those of their native country. When a tree 
thrives it teaches us that a climate analogous 
to that where it lives, prevails in all parts of 
the globe whore its congeners are found. All 
the Washingtonias perished at Segrez during 
the Winter of 18711; their aged and gigantic 
ancestors of the Sierra Nevada, where they 
have grown for thousands of years, prove that 
never, in all that time, has the cold been so 
intense as lately at Segrez, Thus the culti¬ 
vation of trees and shrubs not only serve 
their especial use, but they teach us facts with 
regard to meteorology, that are not otherwise 
attainable. [ To be Conti numl.] 
farm Ccoivomij. 
CONVENIENT STANC’HIONS. 
In a late issue of the Rckal New-Yorker, 
inquiry was made as to the feasibility of build¬ 
ing a set of cattle stanchions that could be 
opened or shut by one movement. Not having 
noticed any plan given for such stanchions, I 
Plan of Stanchions Latch being raised 
by Moving Slide —Fig. 410. 
am induced to send a sketch of a section of 
stanchions of the above description, which have 
been used by me for several years past, aud 
also, by some of my neigliliors, one of whom 
first originated them. In every instance they 
have given perfect satisfaction, not beiug 
lan of Stanchions Passing Latch.— 
MG. 411. 
ilile to get out of order if properly put up. 
i they can be by any ordinary workman, 
hey can be depended on for security, and 
ave thus far proved perfectly safe. 
By reference to the sketch (Fig. 40'J) it will 
b observed they can all be instantly closed 
ml fastened, and that without changing one’s 
latches; /, /,/, are half-inch pins protruding 
from the latches and bearing on the inclined 
planes of the slide while being raised; f/. is a 
block of wood fastened to slide for conveni¬ 
ence in moving; h, stanchion opened after 
lifting latch; i, i , cleats to hold slides in posi¬ 
tion; A\ A 1 , slide for shutting stanchions; m, 
lever for moving slide; a, n, bolts with shoul¬ 
der passed through from opposite side of slide, 
fastened with nut for the purpose of pressing 
against stanchion when being shut. Old cyl¬ 
inder teeth arc just the things for this place. 
As will be seen, the dotted lines show the dif¬ 
ferent parts on the opposite sides of the work. 
The stauchions open by their own weight, by 
boring the hole for the bolt that holds them at 
one side of the center. 
On the opposite sirle of the supports another 
strip correspond ing with h , b, b , should lie 
bolted on to keep the upper ends of the stan¬ 
chions in place. Inch stuff, of white ash or 
some other suitable wood, can be used for all 
but supports. 
If a passage-way is desired in the stable to 
pass from front to rear, the place for working 
the stanchions can lie at that point instead of 
over the heads of the animals, as shown. 
Genesee Co., N. Y. Irving D. Cook. 
AN IMPROVEMENT IN HANGING 
TOBACCO. 
Vahious methods are in use for attaching 
tobacco plants to the laths used for hanging 
from the latter, by simply turning the lath 
about a quarter of the way round. In taking 
down the crop, in the curing-house, I lay a 
lath, with the plants attached, upou the rank, 
and give the lath a sudden turn, first in one 
direction and then in the other, which, if done 
with skill, will loosen all of the plants. The 
lath is then easily drawn out. 
In my experiments, I used a two-inch No. 13 
nail, but I thiuk this size too small. I would 
recommend a two-inch, No. 10, as at Fig. 413. 
The number represents the size of the wire of 
which the nail is made. These nails may be 
purchased, or ordered at hardware stores, and 
cost at retail, about 10 cents a pound. I think 
they should be galvanized to prevent them 
from rusting. I do not know that they are 
made in this way, however. 
I drive six nails through a lath, at equal 
distances, three being driven through from 
each side. The laths are four feet long, and a 
scant half-inch thick. A convenient tool for 
making the hook may be made by a black¬ 
smith, It should be made like a blacksmith’s 
tongs (Fig. 415), but with curved jaws, like 
those of a shoemaker’s pincers. The latter 
should be long enough to receive an inch-and- 
au-eighth of the nail. By placing the lath, 
with the nails driven through it, in a vice, and 
taking hold of the nail with the pincers, as in¬ 
dicated at Fig. 415, the hook is easily made. 
Closing the jaws makes the curve, aud by 
crowding downward towards the lower edge 
of the lath, the angles are easily made. “Elm." 
Plan of Stanchions.—Fig. 400. 
them in the curing-house. In one the lath is 
inserted through the stalk of the plant., 
near the base. Iu another, a wire hook is 
driven into the stalk w r hieh is hung over the 
edge of the lath; and in a third, nails are 
driven through the lath obliquely, so as to 
form a hook, to which the base of the stalk is at¬ 
tached. The last method has some advantages 
over the others. The stalk never splits out, as 
Nail.—Fig. 413. 
it fequently does when the first method is em¬ 
ployed. It saves the time of putting in and 
taking out tne hook, as in the second method. 
It does not require the use of a tool for attach¬ 
ing the plant, as do both of the other methods. 
I tried the third method two years ago. us¬ 
ing a “five-penny” fiuish nail for driving 
through the lath: and though I liked the plan 
Plan of Stanchion Closed.—Fig. 412. 
position. The animals •an be slowly loosened 
either one at a time or all at once, and any 
particular animal can lie loosened by itself in 
the old way—by hand. Of course, it is not 
expected that the cattle can all tie fastened 
at once till they have become accustomed to 
the stable and learned their places. In 
Fig. 40‘J «, a, u, a, are standards or supports 
six or eight inches wide aud 1 Hi-inch thick; b, 
b, are strips six inches wide firmly bolted to 
the supports; c, r, c, are eight-inch strips also 
bolted to the foot of the supports to complete 
the frame; d, d, d, are latches for fastening 
stanchions; e, c, e, are slides for raising the 
Latch Mill Nail Hook.—Fig. 414. 
bettor than any I had ever tried, I found some 
difficulty. The nail would often break off, or 
push out iu pressing <<u the plant. In taking 
down the crop, after it was cured, 1 found that 
the rough surfaces of the nails had rusteo so 
much that many of the plants were removed 
with difficulty. Not wishing to abandon a 
method t hat has so many advantages. I have 
siuee tried the “French wire.’’ or “box” nail, 
driviug it straight through the lath, and beud- 
Pincers.—Fig. 415. 
ing it into a hook, as shown iu Fig. 414. This 
avoids the difficulty of the nails breaking off 
and pushing out, and as the point is sharp the 
stalk is more readily pressed upon it titan upon 
a blunt-pointed nail. The surface beiug 
smooth, does not rust as much as does a cut 
nail. As the hook enters the stalk ou a curve, 
and not ou a straight line, it is readily removed 
and other readers. While it is true that dif¬ 
ferent soils require different elements, it 
is also true that there are certain prepa¬ 
rations especially for wheat, that scarcely 
ever fail to produce the desired effect. Now, 
there are so many readers that desire to 
buy the chemical elements and mix them 
themselves, that it is proper to inform them 
of the exact composition of the manures 
they desire. These elements vary somewhat 
in the fertilizers made by different companies; 
still, there is much less difference in the goods 
from different factories than most people are 
aware of. One brand is composed as follows: 
Pure dissolved bone... 800 pound 
Kaintt...... 400 “ 
A mmonlacal matter... 200 “ 
Land plaster . ooo “ 
2,000 “ 
This is a very cheap fertilizer and the ingre¬ 
dients can be obtained in almost any city. 
Syracuse, N. Y. A. M. Williams. 
Dairij. 
HOME-MADE FERTILIZERS. 
It is astonishing that farmers will work hard 
at one time to secure a dime, and iu so doing 
loose a quarter at another: for they will pay- 
out money for commercial fertilizers and suffer 
twice the amount of fertilizers to waste ou 
their farms. Commercial fertilizers are valu¬ 
able according to the nitrogen, phosphoric 
acid and potash they contain, consequently 
any manures that by composting together 
will give these fertilizing elements, are equal 
to commercial tertilizers. They may be a 
little more bulky to handle, but it is better to 
make and use them than to pay out money and 
bring no more or better fertilizers to apply to 
the crops. Of course where the home tuauu res 
are carefully saved and one needs more yet I 
would advise to buy commercial manures 
rather than stable manure. I never have used 
commercial fertilizers until this seasou. Last 
Spring 1 bought 5iM pounds, aud am testing it 
with home-made fertilizers “ night soil ” and 
dissolved bones. The night soil was composted 
with rich loam aud ashes. 
My cucumbers were planted on good soil, 
aud a small handful of night soil was scattered 
around each hill in two rows and a small 
handful of commercial fertilizers was spread 
arouud each hill iu the remainder of the 
ground. The two rows fertilized with night 
soil ltear the finest vines. All the bones on 
my place wore carefully saved and dissolved 
with ashes and tested ou melons. My melons 
were planted at the side of my cucumbers, A 
good handful of commercial fertilizer was 
scattered around each lull, and thou a hand, 
ful of bone dust was applied to each hill ex. 
eopt on one row running through the middle 
of the patch. This row is not half as fine or 
vigorous as the rest of the patch. To farther 
test the commercial fertilizer 1 planted five 
acres in corn, using a tablespoon ful scattered 
arouud cacti hill. Throe unfertilized rows 
were left ruunmg through the middle of 
the field. The corn on all the rest of the 
field looks better aud is about twice as high as 
ou these three rows. T. D. u. 
A Good Fertilizer for Wheat. 
A header of the Rural asks for the com¬ 
position of a good fertilizer for wheat. The 
answer given is correct beyond any question 
gtill a little more explanation may benefit him 
DAIRY NOTES. 
BY JOHN M. STAHL. 
The large flow of milk of our cows is not 
natural but artificial. In a state of nature, 
animals give only sufficient inilk to nourish 
their young. This illustrates one of the great 
truths of ethics and physics—that nature al¬ 
lows no waste. Calves did not make butter 
and cheese, so nature did not provide milk for 
that pui-pose. Nor is it hardly correct to say 
that this large flow is produced by breeding. 
It is continued by breeding but produced by 
man’s continual asking—squeezing—for more, 
it follows, that a cow’s flow of milk may be in 
creased by this tender manipulation of tbe 
teats. Squeezing always brings its own reward. 
Incomplete milking decreases the flow, “dries 
up” the cow. not because milk is left in the 
udder, but because nature soon learns how 
much is asked for, and gives no more. In 
inilkmg, squeeze long that the pail may be full. 
Not only may the yield be increased by 
artificial means, but it may be produced 
soouer. A neighbor of mine had two heifer 
calves that he fed onlk. After being fed, they 
amused themselves by sucking each other. 
Upou investigation it was found that a few 
weeks of this mutual effort had produced a 
a flow of milk. UndoubteiUy milking, or 
more properly attempted milking, would have 
tbe same effect. VV by let a calf spend her 
heiferhood m unprofitable unproductiveness 
any way i Might she not as well give milk as 
net, if she is designed fora milker and not for 
Ueeif t am inclined to thiuk that it w ould be 
better to tans early awaken Che organs into 
activity. It would insure a larger yield. No 
tlouht heifer milk and heifer butter would be 
to cow milk and cow butter what veal is to 
beef, ihey would be esteemed delicacies in¬ 
dulged in by Congressmen, farmers, and other 
great men. 
This explains why the Channel Island cat¬ 
tle aie sued great milkers, ami why the Dur- 
hains are not. Beef and milk qualities iu a 
high degree can hot both exist in the same ani¬ 
mal, because its digestive capacity is (united 
and it can not fm-uisU matter tor much milk 
and much riesh. it tne lood is converted into 
milk, the uuiuml will be lean. If the food is 
converted mW flesh, the flow of milk will he 
small. This explains why it is that a good 
milch cow is generally lean and a tat cow, u 
poor milker. \V ith tne Channel Island cattle, 
the object lias been to develop a greater aud 
greater ttow of milk. It has l>eeu accomplished 
but at the expense of beef; these cuttle are 
small aud lean. W ith the Short-hums the 
object has been to develop boef qualities; 
it has ueeu successful, but has also pro¬ 
duced poor milkers. 
The llow of milk depends upou several 
tliiugs. It would seem that the larger the 
cow, the more milk she should give, for the 
more she will eat aud drink. But a big body 
requires more to luaiutam it, to build up whut 
life tears down. It is nut the size, strength 
ami vigor of the body that determines tne 
flow of milk, but the size, strength and vigor 
of the digestive apparatus. But then the 
the proper organs may digest much, aud the 
vessels and organs that appropriate what they 
get to flesh forming, be so active that very 
little is left for milk. The activity of the 
milk-forming vessels aud organs is necessary 
to a large flow. These, as wo have seen, may¬ 
be cultivated, educated; and exercise will 
make them stronger. Hence the ailv i&abihty 
of milking a cow close to the time of calving; 
for it will not only keep up the flow of mu.. 
