680 
* 
OCT 2© 
fat fowls never molt well. After the 
feathers are off, increase the feeding and a 
little stimulant may be added to the food. 
Good ale in proper quantity and at proper in¬ 
tervals is as suitable as anything. Old cocks 
shoidd be separated from the hens or put into 
a pen by themselves or. better still, allowed to 
run with the cockerels. Early hatched pul¬ 
lets beginning to lay in the Fall will need 
good feeding. If size is wanted, the longer 
laying can be delayed the better; and for this 
purpose frequent changes of ran and absence 
of beating or stimulating focd are required. 
Birds vc hieh lay early, mature too Boon and 
never make large birds. The age at which 
pullets lay depends greatly on breed, feeding 
and climate; but at six months, most breeds, 
if well boused and fed, begin to lay. Young 
turkeys well eared for and guarded from wet, 
should now be well forward and able to forage 
in the harvested fields. Old hens not wanted 
for another season should be fattened and 
sold. Now is the time, too, to buy young 
stock cheap. 
A late bulletin of theN.Y. Ex. Station, says 
that some seeds will germinate when quite im¬ 
mature. Thus, sweet corn kernels, while in 
prime, edible condition, if carefully removed 
from the cob, w ill germinate perfectly. The 
same fact is true of peas while in the edible 
state. In some trials with unripe corn it was 
found that immaturity of seed hastened the 
germinative processes; and it is certainly 
worthy of trial whether by the use of imma¬ 
ture* seed we may not attain earliness in our 
crops through a series of successive selections. 
If earliuosS be gained, even at the expense of 
some other quality of growth, it may be pos¬ 
sible through a series of selections to attain 
earliness in varieties and yet retain qualities 
which may be sufficient for the purposes of the 
grower. 
Prof. Beal says, very forcibly, that ex. 
peditions are sent at a great expense to ex¬ 
plore polar seas, with a view to slightly ex¬ 
tending our knowTedge of a barren portion of 
the earth’s surface, Large sums are employed 
to fit up in magnificent style, and send to the 
remotest parts of the earth, expeditions to 
spend a few* minutes iu observing an eclipse or 
a transit of Venus. Would the seuding of 
competent persons around the earth in search 
of better grasses be an undertaking less praise¬ 
worthy ? 
--- 
Even the world’s work of these times is 
specialities, and no one man is fit to do many 
things well. Agrtculture L speedily and 
surely dividing herself into grain, flesh, wool, 
cheese and butter. No two perfect aud dis¬ 
tinct products, as now requmed, eau be got 
from any one breed of cattle or sheep under 
any sort of conditions anywhere, however 
favorable. Prof. Brown of the Ontario 
School of Agriculture c hallenges any one to 
name a breed of cattle or sheep that gives an 
annual produce of two things equal to the bke 
class of things from two separate breeds that 
he will name. Of course, there are iu every 
breed certain inherent pro; erties that c-aunot 
be driven out by any form of unsuitability— 
whether climate, food, or management—and 
consequently we can build upon their per¬ 
petuation in a new land with almost unfailing 
ertainty. 
-- 
THE LATEST AND BRIEFEST. 
Gather the squashes. 
The Illinois Industrial University has be 
gun its school year with about the usual num¬ 
ber of students—something over 300—of whom 
sixty odd are young ladies. 
“Bless the Rural for fighting horse racing 
at fairs” says F. K. Phoenix. 
Ellwanger & Barry consider Rea’s Mam¬ 
moth the best of all the quince$ . 
Prof Brown of Canada asserts that there 
is no «ich thing as a general-purpose cow, as 
understood by many of us. There is no breed 
of cattle that will fill the butcher’s stall, the 
milk pail, the cheese vat, and the butter cau, 
as each should be done in these days, and must 
be done, in order to attain the desired success. 
Mr. Carbons says in the Gardeners’ Monthly 
that Japan Maples, far from being tender iu 
Flushing, are exceptionally hardy and have 
not been injured when Norway Spruce and 
hemlock have been killed. 
Stockhardt says that it is better to have 
three cows completely satisfied with food than 
four ouly three-quarters satisfied. 
Preserve onious iu the stable loft. Spread 
them 6 to 10 mches thick and cover w*ith hay 
or straw when severe frosts are imminent.... 
Cabbages may be left where they grow 
until the ground begins to freeze. Then pull 
them and place the heads down,packing them 
close!) together iu beds four to six feet w ide, 
with alleys between. The soil of the alleys 
is then throw.!} qyer the cabbages so as to 
pover them fiy<j or six inches deep ..,, j., t ., 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Canada, 
Stratford. Sept. 24.—Do you know* the 
Farina Potato, a Jady-tinger kind, most de¬ 
licious in flavor and not excelled as a baker? 
It yields too many little ones; if this bad 
habit could be bred out of it, it would be a 
very desirable garden variety. Can this be 
done ? Fruit of most kinds is poor. Plums, 
in some parts, an enormous crop. c. m. y. 
Dakota. 
Tooktag, Charles Mix Co., Sept. 21 — 
Crops ot all kinds are extremely good; every, 
thing iu the vegetable line is plentiful. This 
country has been settled mostly since 1882, 
but now there is not a quarter-section that is 
not taken. No frost to hurt anything yet. 
My Rural Thoroughbred Corn planted this 
year is not ripe yet. Blush Potatoes did well; 
not dug yet. Flowers did well and make a 
good display. j. w. B. 
Michigan. 
Commerce. Oakland Co., Oct. 2.—Wheat 
below* the average, yield about 15 bushels 
per acre. White wheat (mostly Clawson) al¬ 
most a failure. Mostly red w heat sown this 
Fall—Fultz aud Gipsey. Oats extra, from 30 
to 50 bushels to the acre. Hay a very heavy 
growth, but somewhat damaged. Corn about 
half a crop, and it has ripened in good condi¬ 
tion where the old varieties were planted. 
Potatoes are a very poor crop, although the 
area under them is almost double the usual 
acreage: mostly Burbanks. a. h. p. 
New York. 
Blrdsall, Albany Co., Sept. 22.—The frost 
cut the coru aud vines short. Potatoes rot¬ 
ting badly. A pples scarce. G. L. H. 
Hermitage, Wyoming Co., Oct. 2.— Crops 
of all kinds are good except corn and beans 
w hich were killed by the frost. e. d. p. 
RURAL SEED REPORTS. 
Arkiinuu. 
Chidexter, Ouachita Co., Oct. 1.—My 
Blush Potato, cut into 10 pieces with an eye 
in each, was planted on April 20, and on July 
15 I dug 25 tubers much larger than the 
original Blush, 20 of tlio same size, 15 smaller 
—81 in all. t. b. g. 
Couiiectictii 
Lebanon, New' London. Sept, 25. — 
The Blush Potato sent me weighed two 
ounces, contained 12 eyes, was eut into 12 
pieces aud planted iu drills one foot apart, iu 
common field soil, manured with about 20 
loads to acre, plowed in. Nothing put in drill. 
Thi-ee eyes failed to sprout. From the re¬ 
maining nine I dug 54 potatoes, weighing 23 !, 
pounds, having an average weight of very 
nearly seven ounces. Fifty of them were 
good, marketable potatoes; the other four 
were very small. The largest one weighed 
1J£ pound; the largest five, 5b pounds; 
largest 15, 1pounds. The smallest 
one weighed one ounce; the smallest five 
weighed seven ounces; the smallest 15 w eighed 
2)4 pounds. One hill yielded five potatoes 
which weighed three pounds; no small ones. 
They received just such culture as my field 
potatoes: no extra work on them; although 
uot quite 2,000 bushels (</ the acre, if they 
continue to yield as well I will find no 
fault. J. m. 
Illinois. 
Galva, Henry Co., Oct. 5.—My Blush Pota¬ 
toes weighed two ounces and produced 21 
pounds of tubers. Of watermelons I had two 
large ones ripe; and of squashes, 50 nice ones. 
e. n. w. 
Prairie Center, La Salle Co., Oct. 2.— 
My Blush Potatoes had eight eyes. Seven 
grew; dug them Sept. 17; weight 32 pounds. 
They were planted one eye to the bill in good 
rich soil. J. G. C. 
Pana, Christian Co., Sept. 24.—My Blush 
Potato received from the Rural weighed two 
ounces. It was cut into five pieces, twoe, es 
to a piece; planted one piece to u hill—five 
hills—April 20 in garden. They had two hoe- 
ings, and produced September 17th, 45 large, 
41 small, potatoes; one weighed one pound 
two ounces; the whole, 21 pounds ten ounces, 
it is very dry here for seeding wheat, but fa¬ 
vorable for ripening corn, of which a great 
deal is out of frost’s harm. Crop of apples, 
good; wheat, uot over half a crop; oafs, a 
fair crop. Wheat brings 85 to 87 cents; oats, 
22 cents; apples, 30 to 50 cents. d. b. p. 
I minimi. 
Alma, "Whitley Co., Sept. 20.—My Rural 
Wheat 1 planted September 23 last year. 
Of the Fullzo-Olawson 1 planted 843, and of 
the Surprise, 48 grains, in 27 rows one foot 
apart, 33 feet long, 33 grains in each row, 
On November 1,1 had 703plants of the Fultzo- 
Clawson aud 41 of the Surprise. Last May I 
had 080 of the former and 37 of the latter. 
Both kinds produced heavy crops of straw, 
the Fultzo being tlio tallest, standing from 
four to five feet high. 1 counted several 
stools of 40 to 05 stalks apiece. The weather 
being very unfavorable when it was in bloom, 
raining five days in each week for two weeks, it 
rusted badly aud did not till well. The yield 
of the Fultzo-Clawsou was 20 pounds, and of 
the Surprise oue-and-a-half pound. The 
Shumaker coming in bloom ten days earlier, 
did much better. 1 drilled what seed 1 had, in 
four rows 33 feet long, one foot apart. The 
yield v r as seven-and-three-quarter pounds, or 
at the rate of 41 bushels and 25 pounds to the 
acre. The soil is a black loam and had been 
cultivated iu potatoes and cabbages ever since 
it was cleared 19 years ago; and it has had a 
good dressing of stable manure every year for 
several years. Except the last year, I culti¬ 
vated it iu beans, previous to the wheat. Last 
Fall I applied one bushel of unleaehed ashes 
to the plot; last Spring, applied another 
bushel and hoed and raked the ashes well into 
the soil. a. b. g 
lowii. 
Atlantic, Cass Co., Oct. 5.—The Shoe-peg 
Corn is a failure. The Rural watermelon 
seeds produced five beautiful melous, the 
average weight being 35 pounds. They took 
first premium at our Comity Fair aud wore 
pronounced the best-flavored by all present. 
My Blush Potato weighed about l.bj ounce. 
1 planted iu uine bills, each hill containing a 
single eye. The yield was very good; six of 
the largest weighed five pounds and four 
ouuees. We baked some this morning; they 
weie very dry, mealy and uice-tastiug. s.ilh. 
Decatur. Decatur Co., Sept. 20.—My two 
Blush Potatoes, not larger than hulled wal¬ 
nuts, eut into eight pieces, were planted in the 
garden on good soil the 80th of April, one 
piece to the hill; mulched just before bloom¬ 
ing with dry grass. Worked just enough to 
keep dowu weeds. Result, 7!) large oues, 43 
small ones, total 122. Largest one weighed 
V% pound; 12 largest, eight pounds. Our 
Shoe-peg Coru did not come out well; cau 
beat it with my speckled or calico corn; but 
will, with the proceeds of my 48 grains, give 
it a better trial in the field next year. Our 
Welcome Oats were not planted till the 30th of 
April (which in this part is very late). 1 sowed 
five packages on 252 square feet and threshed 
them with a stick, consequently did uot get 
all, but had 15 pounds of very plump oats. 
Black-bearded Centennial Wheat the worst 
fizzle I ever saw'. w. J. c. 
Nora Springs. Floyd Co.. Sept. 25.—We 
have bail a very poor season for com: frost 
killed it all September 8 aud 9. Oats a good 
crop. Black-bearded Wheat a failure. Shoe- 
peg Coru nearly the same. I planted Blush 
Potato May 4, cut to one eve in a piece, making 
14 lulls. The manure was spread on and 
plowed under; it was well rotted from the 
barnyard, and was put on last Fall. Dug 
September 21, yield 82 pounds aud one ounce. 
Tffo largest weighed one pound and seveu 
ounces each. a. s. w. 
WlNTHROP. Buchanan Co., Sept 22. — 1 cut 
my small Blush Potato iuto 13 pieces, one 
eye in each; planted one eye in a hill oue 
foot apart; dug to-day 45 pounds, 
all of the potatoes being larger than 
the one I planted except oue-aud-throe-quarter 
pound of small onas, I spread hog manure 
broadcast: no other fertilizers. Howl three 
times. Estimated at the rate of 816 45-COths. 
bushels per acre. Shoe-peg Corn 1 think a 
good deu 1 of. I bad 40 stalks that grew 45 good 
ears and some nubbins. 1 think it will ripen in 
this latitude. n. G. 
Kan rinn. 
Spring Hill, Johnson Co., Sept. 2(5.—1 got 
two Blush Potatoes that had 15 eyes; planted 
them May 1, one eye iu a hill, and I dug them 
September 3; had 133 tubers, weight. 32 
pounds. The five largest weighed three 
pounds and eleven ounces; the largest, one 
pound. My melons are not ripe yet. The 
sweet com did well. The girls were pleased 
with the flower seeds. The wheat crop here is 
bad; coru is good; oats extra; uo frost yet. n. 
Mary In ml. 
Denton, Caroline Co.— Blush Potato.— 
Weight ot potato received from Rural, two 
ounces; cut to single eye in a piece and planted 
April (5 in ten hills, two feet apart in a row. 
Used Chappell’s phosphate, mixing a small 
handful with the soil in bottom of hills, 
covered about four inches deep, mixing 
another small handful of same brand of ferti¬ 
lizer in soil over each hill, finishing off" with 
a liberal top-dressing of good wood-ashes. 
Every “eye” sprouted and all grew 
luxuriantly until the potatoes were as large 
as Guinea eggs, when a neighbor’s hog found 
them and took up two entire hills, disturbing 
fhrpp others. When I ha vy this my spirit 
waxed wroth. I did not care for the entire 
row of Beauty of Hebron the hog hod 
“messed up.” A week after the first raid the 
hog came again and “used up” one side of 
each of three hills—this was more than human 
nature could bear—the adoption of the “ shot¬ 
gun policy ” saved the rest of my Blush. Dur¬ 
ing their growth the culture was only ordi¬ 
nary—just the same as that given to the 
Hebron alongside. They were ripe and dog 
August ll>. 74 potatoes, one largest potato 
weighed 12 ounces; six next largest aggregate d 
three pounds 12 ounces; six next largest 
aggregated two pounds nine ounces; 25 largest 
weighed 10 pounds eight ounces;49 remaining, 
six pounds 15 ounces; aggregate weight, 24 
pounds eight ouuees. Of course, the loss of 
two entire bills with the disturbance of the 
others by that hog prevented my giving com¬ 
plete report. The tubers are very nice aud 
smooth; and in point of season, it is heie 
rather after what might be termed medium. 
The quality of the {>otato as grown here is 
first-class—fine, dry and mealy. j. w. k. 
M imicsoia. 
Sauk Center Stearns Co.. Sept. 24.—My 
two Blush Potatoes I cut into 13 pieces, one 
eye to a piece: planted April 27one piece in a 
hill in hills one foot apart, aud on September 
22 1 dug 192 potatoes, weighing 31b. pounds. 
The soil was a sandy loam, well manured, 
aud was kept free from weeds; culture flat. 
The Shoe-peg Corn grew eight feet high, but 
had no corn on it. The melons grew nicely 
but did not get ripe. I have four grape vines 
growing from the Niagara seeds. s. m. t. 
Worthington, Nobles Co., Sept, 17.—Of 
the seeds received from the Rural Free Feed 
Distribution, the melons made vines but no 
melons; the corn, stalks but no corn; the 
wheat refused to head, but the flowers grew 
and arc very nice; but I am afraid the frost 
will kill them before they ripen seed. From 
the potato grew nearly a bushel of nice large 
ones. The most trouble with them is, they 
scatter too much in the hill. Seveu plants 
from the grape seed. j. w. r. 
Xi*iv Jersey. 
New Germantown, Hunterdon Co., Sept. 
24.—I lmd five different colors of CLater 
Holly hock; two shades pink,one crushed straw¬ 
berry, one lavender, one pearl white; they 
bloomed all Summer aud were the admiration 
of the neighborhood. My mixed garden 
treasures are doing fiuely. 1 sowed my 
wheat in the garden, each kiud by itself; it 
did well, but the sparrows injured it very 
much. I think it is very good. My grape 
vines are looking fine. I planted my Blush 
Potato the last of May; it had five eyes and 
made five hills. I dug them Sept. 1; had 29 
pounds, 510 iu number, all good sized pota¬ 
toes. s. A. R. 
New York. 
Avon, Livingston Co., Sept. 24._ 
1 have just dug my Blush Potatoes, aud from 
the little two ounce one sent out by the 
Rural, I now have (57 fine potatoes, very 
uniform iu size and weighing 23 pounds, for 
which I would not take twice the subscription 
price of the Rural. j, jj. c. 
Birdsall. Albany Co.. Sept. 22.— My Blush 
Potato weighed about, three ouuees and had 
14 eyes. I cut it to one eye in a piece aud 
planted the pieces in eight hills about 1(5 
inches apart. I dug to-day 61 tubers, weigh¬ 
ing 16 pounds. The largest weighed 13 ounces. 
The Rural Wheats did not come up. The 
Niagara Grape seed I sowed in a box. A ben 
helped them to come up. The flowers were 
nice—those that blossomed this year. g. l. h. 
East Otto, Cattaraugus Co.— I re¬ 
ceived u small Blush Po ato from the Ru¬ 
ral last Spring. It liud 10 eyes, so 1 eut it 
into 10 pieces. Oue of the pieces was very 
small, it grew, although very slim, aud pro¬ 
duced 12 little potatoes. I hud in all 134 pota¬ 
toes, or 86 pounds 12 ounces; 107 were of good 
size for market. The first five weighed 5b, 
pounds;second live, 4>* pounds; third five; 8>* 
pouuds. The soil was a dark loam, with a 
hard-pan subsoil. Uu May 7 I made 10 bills 
aud put one eye in each hill. 1 made a com¬ 
posite all tbc kinds of manure 1 had with a 
little salt and a little plaster. It rained a 
great deal until the last of J uly. The bugs 
were quite thick. 1 dusted them twice with 
slaked lime to kill them. 1 made the hills as 
high and broad as 1 could; they were abou 
2^ feet apart. Dug them September 24; the 
largest number iu a hill was 16; the smallest, 
number nine. I had two rotten, potatoes iu 
the lot. The wheat was a iailure, ouly one 
kernel headed out. li. s. 
Damsvili.k, Livingston Co. — My small 
Blush Potatoes i cut iuto 24 pieces, and 
planted them on May 25, two feet apurt, in 
drills three loot apart making 24 hills. I he 
only manure they received was a slight top 
dressing of Crocker’s phosphate, They were 
caltiyqted entirely with a hoe, and billed 
