the one taken on the rising temperature, for 
the reason that the lamp heats the water at 
one or two points only ami causes currents 
that affect the thermometers differently; but 
the water will cool with much greater unifor¬ 
mity. I mark my thermometers with ink 
lines at 98 mid 103 degrees, and keep the heat 
between these two lines. 
In the incubator I am now using there are 
four apartments filled with eggs, and they 
vary at least three degrees in temperature, 
and lam not yet ready to pronounce in favor 
of any one as the best, I have had such vary¬ 
ing fortune in each. It will take a large num¬ 
ber of hatches in each, with strict records kept 
to finally decide correctly what is the exact 
temperature to get the best results. Writers 
generally state that there are two conditions 
that vary this result. In Summer a better 
hatch can be obtained if the incubator is run 
two degrees lower thanitshould beiu Winter. 
I know cream will churn best below 62 de¬ 
grees in Summer, and above this temperature 
in Winter, and it may be that the same or a 
similar cause will affect egg hatching. Then 
the age of the chick in the egg has much to do 
it is said, with the amount of heat thrown off 
by the egg. It is claimed by some writers 
that a chick as it matures generates heat, and 
thus helps to heat up the chamber that con¬ 
tains the eggs, and that therefore, the incuba¬ 
tor should be run at a lower temperature as 
the eggs approach hatching time. I am not 
altogether sure of the correctness of this con¬ 
clusion. One thing I am certain of—that eggs 
with nearly matured chicks in them cool off 
much more rapidly than fresher eggs. If the 
little fellows generate this extra heat it seems 
to me they should show it when the eggs are 
set out to cool once a day. 
There are two “ motive powers” in use with 
incubators. The machinery for cutting off 
or letting on the heat is usually managed by 
either electricity or the thermostatic bar. 
Having used both, I would advise the beginner 
not to touch the former unless he is a skilled 
and bora electrician. The battery or some¬ 
thing connected with it that I was using, got 
out of order and long before I could master the 
subject the eggs were all stone-cold, though 
every precaution was taken to protect them. 
Electric power is a little too occult for the 
average citizen, and having seen the great 
difficulty of getting steady work in lighting 
the Brooklyn Bridge with electricity, 1 have 
concluded that this motive power is not yet 
sufficiently mastered by experts for raw hands 
to depend upon it. The thermostatic bar is 
not too reliable, as an encyclopedia will tell 
one, and as a little reliance upon it with a few 
hundred eggs at stake,w01 soon convince him. 
But one at least knows the principle upon 
which it works, and if it comes to a stand-still a 
little study will usually point out the location 
of the trouble. It is well also to know that 
time or seasoning, as it is called, marks de¬ 
cided changes in case of thermometers and 
thermostatic bars. It is therefore well to test 
the thermometers over again every three or 
four months and they will tell whether the py¬ 
rometer is doing honest work or not. 
I am working out several problems in rela¬ 
tion to the incubator, and will bo happy to do 
what I can to solve anv mystery that the 
reader would like explained. 
THE BLUEBERRY. 
I have often heard those who lived in the 
Adirondacks boast of the blueberry. It is 
there a fine fruit, but does not equal its kin¬ 
dred grown along the shores of Long Island 
Sound. In the mountain rigors of our lake 
land, the bush is very low, and the crop not 
very profuse. It gl ows there, too, mostly on 
very dry, open ground; but In Connecticut, it 
makes its home in moist or quite wet footings, 
and grows up to a bush of some three to six 
feet high, 
I much prefer the more southern variety. 
It grows finely and bears well under cul¬ 
ture. It stands transportation to any good 
garden soil. Our veteran nurseryman, N, H. 
Lindley, had a row of some 100 feet in which 
were three varieties. One was very much 
more prolific and finer than the others. They 
plant blueberries averaging as large as the 
would have come of it. Perfect, staminate 
and pistillate flowers often occur on the same 
plant. Eds.] 
Perhaps the following scheme may be of 
use to the Rural readers. I have a “Con¬ 
temporaneous Index” to the Rural which I 
run in this way:—The first six pages of a 
largest Cherry Currants, the only trouble 
was, that the birds knew the qualities of the 
fruit, and went for it “early and often.” 
The crop could be kept for the table only 
by covering the fruit with gauze. 
Tbe Adirondack berry grounds would have 
this advantage over a more, southern region 
NOTES ON NOVELTIES. 
I have been digging some of my Early 
Beauty of Hebron potatoes which were 
planted late; and I have noticed a peculiarity 
of relation between the tops and the tubers, 
which may have been noted before by some 
one. I will mention it, however, for what it 
is worth. In 24 out of 28cases, the number of 
potatoes in each hill was exactly the same as 
the number of branches of the stem of the 
top, and the size of the tubers was in propor¬ 
tion, as nearly as one might estimate, to the 
vigor of the stem and branches. 
I inclose a sketch (Fig. (148) with outlines of 
potatoes grow u from one eye. Of the larg¬ 
est size there were three; of the second size, 
four; of the third, three; of the fourth, one; and 
of the smallest, one. The stem grew 16 inches 
long, and branched all the way up, the 
smallest and last branch being two inches 
long. In the next hill to this was a large, 
vigorous stem, branching close to the ground 
into four parts. This hill contained four 
large potatoes, all larger than the best of those 
in the first-mentioned hill. In the four cases 
not accounted for among the28, two were not 
noticed, and in the other two there were 
two small potatoes instead of one huge one to 
single uubranched stems. These stems were 
small and puny, and grew only five and seven 
inches long. Is this always tbe case with po¬ 
tatoes; and if so, what would be the best fer¬ 
tilizer for producing a rapid and vigorous 
growth of vine! For this would seem to be 
tbe eud to be secured. [Generally fine pota¬ 
toes have strong stems—not always. Some¬ 
times we have an immense growth of stem 
and a small crop of tubers. Eds.J 
I have also had a further bit of curious ex¬ 
perience in potato culture this season. I was 
overtaken one Saturday night by darkness, 
with half a pailful of cut potatoes (Early 
Beauty), and taking my spade I scooped out a 
small hole in a mass of well rotted forest 
leaves and soil in the edge of a clearing. 
When Monday morning came, the new 
week’s work was taken up, and the potatoes 
were forgotten. After the vines were eight 
inches high, 1 noticed them, and said to my¬ 
self, “ I shall have one good, big hill of pota¬ 
toes at any rate, for they have a-balf peck of 
rotted potatoes to feed upon, besides tbe leaf 
mold.” To my complete surprise tbe vines 
grew yellow and died very early, and set only 
about a quart of small potatoes about the 
size of pigeons’ eggs. Am I to judge from 
this that the constituents of a crop do not 
indicate the best materials for fertilizing? In 
other words, do plants refuse to become 
“ cannibals,” and devour their own kind? 
1 inclose a sketch (Fig. 649) made from one of 
several stalks of Marblehead Corn, which grew 
less than one foot high and had both tassel 
and grain on the same stem, in the exceed¬ 
ingly mixed condition indicated. These 
specimens grew on a very sandy streak, which 
refused to raise even grass before it was 
plowed. The grains were plump and good, 
although the silk had quite withered. If tho 
frost had not prevented its ripening, I should 
have tried planting the seed. [Nothing 
18 
Tassel Marblehead Corn Fig. —649 
entries: one under W, which I wrote “Wheat, 
Landreth and Armstrong, 589,” the figure in¬ 
dicating the page; the second under R, which 
was “Rural Experiments, 589.” As I have 
many Rural Experiments, I do not have to do 
more than make the figure of the page now, 
having left a few lines for these figures. It is 
astonishing how much time is saved by this 
plan, when looking up a l>ack article. 
Essex Co., N. Y. riciiard fkrris. 
SWEET SKIM MILK, 
Its value as a food for pigs and calves. 
In experiments to ascertain the value of 
sweet skim milk when fed to pigs and calves, 
the conductors of the Wisconsin Experiment 
8 tation state in their report that they fed two 
lots of Poland-China pigs with milk and uicai 
separately. There were two pigs in each lot, 
which were 86 days old when the experiments 
began. The first lot was fed all the milk that 
could be consumed without waste, and the sec¬ 
ond was fed on corn meal soaked in water until 
slightly sour. Both lots wore fed green clover 
from racks; but as they eared but little for it, its 
use was soon discontinued. The test continued 
26 days, was discontinued for a week, after 
which interval the tables were reversed and 
then the experiment was continued for 25 days 
longer. 
During the first 25 days, the pigs fed on 
' milk gained pounds, and ate 1,168 pounds 
of milk, and 77 pounds of clover. Those fed 
I on meal gained 42?., pounds, ate 199 pouuds of 
meal and 154 of clover. During the second 25 
days, the lot fed on skim milk gained 79 
pounds and ate 1,204 pounds of milk, the lot 
feeding on meal gaining Olio pounds and eat- 
I ing 253 pounds of meal. In this experiment 
400 pounds of corn meal, or 1,900 pouuds of 
milk were required to produce a gain of 100 
pounds of live weight. 
In feeding milk and meal together, four lots 
of pigs, two in a lot, were employed, of about 
the same age and breeding as those in tbe pre¬ 
vious experiments. The first lot was fed 14 
pouuds of milk and 3)-; pounds of meal for 100 
pounds of live weight. The pigs were weighed 
every three days and the necessary amount of 
food for the next three days was calculated 
from their weight 
The second lot was given 26 pounds of milk 
and 2% pounds of meal per 100 pounds of live 
weight. In this ration there was an excess of 
protein amounting to about 40 per cent. The 
third lot was fed an excess of 33 per cent, of 
carbohydrates by allowingniue pounds of milk 
and pounds of meal per 100 pounds of live 
weight. 
The fourth lot received all the corn meal 
soaked until slightly sour, that could be eaten. 
The trial lasted 18 days. It was observed that 
lot one would require 130 pounds of meal and 
680 pounds of milk for 100 pounds of growth. 
With corn meal worth §1 per 100 pounds, 
and pork $5 per 100 pounds, live weight, tho 
milk fed in this way would be worth 54 cents 
per 100 pounds. 
With lot two 960 pouuds of -milk and 96 
pounds of meal would be allowed to produce 
100 pounds of pork, aud with prices allowed 
as with lot one, the uiil'k would only be worth 
40 cents per 100 pouuds. 
Lot three would require 200 pounds of meal 
and 330 pounds of milk for 100 pounds of 
growth. In this case milk is wertk 90 cents 
per 100 pounds. 
Lot four for 100 pounds of growth would 
require 500 pounds of meal. This allows $1 per 
100 p ounds for the meal. 
Again the experiment of feeding milk and 
meal together was made upon four very lean 
shotes of uncertain age and breeding. They 
were placed in pens in pairs, and to lot one 
were given milk and meal at the rate of 31;, 
pounds of milk to one of meal. The first day 
of the trial this lot received 31 X pounds of milk 
aud nine pounds of meal. After that and to 
tho close of the test it was fed 12 pounds of 
meal and 42 pounds of milk, in three feeds per 
day. Lot two was given 10 pounds of milk to 
one of meal. The first day of the trial this lot 
was fed 4}<i pounds of meal and 45 pounds of 
milk. After the first day it received 6 pounds 
of meal and 60 pounds of milk, in three feeds 
daily, Tho pigs were weighed during the 
whole test. The trial lasted 25 days. Lot one 
required 230 pounds of meal and 800 pounds of 
milk for 100 pounds of gain, With the value 
of meal and pork as before, the milk would be 
worth 84 cents per 100 pounds. Lot two re¬ 
quired 148 pounds of meal aud 1,485 pounds of 
milk for 100 pounds of gain, which allows a 
value of 24 cents per 100 pounds. From the 
two last; experiments it would appear that for 
the most economical feeding, a large amount 
of meal should bo fed with the milk. 
The Station also experimented in the feed¬ 
ing of skim milk for calf feed. A heifer 
calf (fl opped Jan. 22, ’83, was fed 16 pouuds of 
milk with a little meal twice a day, from June 
5 to July 26. It was allowed oats, but soon 
refused them. Tbacnlf was kept in a small 
pasture during the day, and in the stable at 
night. In 51 days it consumed 18b, pounds of 
oats, 108 of oil meal, and 1,632 of milk, and 
gained 113 pouuds, or 2 1-5 pounds per day. 
A heifer calf dropped April 1, 1888, and a 
bull calf dropped April 22, wore kept in the 
stable during the same length of time as the 
last one mentioned. The milk fed varied with 
the wants of the animals from 10 to 15 pounds 
at a feed twice a day, together with < >il meal and 
oats. The heifer calf was unthrifty from the 
start and did not, make a satisfactory growth. 
Tho heifer consumed 1,208 pounds of milk, 
and the bull 1,437 pounds. Together they ate 
113 1 * pounds of oil meal aud 78 pounds of oats. 
The heifer gained 82 aud the bull 120 pounds 
in 51 days, a gain of 1 3-5 and 2% pounds re¬ 
spectively per day. The calf fed by itself made 
a pound of growth for euch 14 pounds of milk 
and one pound of oil meal fed. 
The two calves fed together made a growth 
of one pound for 13 pounds of milk, one-half 
pound of oil meal and one-third pound of oats. 
The calf born on Jan. 22 weighed on Aug. 13, 
514 pounds, und can easily be made to weigh 
800 pounds when a year old. 
■ 4 • ♦- 
O. F. Banfikld, of the Elmira Fanners 
Club, as reported in the Husbandman, says 
that he met a farmer lately who lives eight 
miles from Elmira, N, Y., and who has 70 
sheep this year and 40 lurnbs. Ho got for his 
