do not advocate the use of irrigation unless for 
the purpose of experiment, but I merely wish 
to point out how important an abundant sup¬ 
ply of rain is. The rainfall last year was fair¬ 
ly adundant for all other crops but not for the 
potato. 
THE RURAL’S METHOD OP CONSERVING 
MOISTURE. 
We are very glad that Dr. Lawes has fa¬ 
vored us with the above remarks—especially 
at this time when hundreds of our readers are 
preparing to try the Rural's method, which 
is, in other words, merely a method of pre¬ 
serving moisture. The potato plant, before 
the tubers begin to form, never suffers from 
drought any more than do young com plants; 
but when the tubers are forming, their supply 
of moisture must be unfailing, or a check in 
their growth must follow—and a cheek means 
a small crop or, if growth should be resumed, 
a prongy crop. We would ask our readers to 
compare the weight of the tubers produced 
by a given plant and the weight of the haulm 
(stems and leaves) of that plant. The tubers 
must grow and mature during a few weeks. 
They are at least three-quarters water, aud 
the leaves and stems and fibrous roots, which 
together generally weigh much less than the 
potatoes, are taxed to their utmost to supply 
this water and the food it holds. It does not 
matter in the least how rich the soil is, with¬ 
out moisture the food is unavailable. We 
have already explained how our “trench” 
system is supposed to conserve moisture. We 
wish now to urge our readers also to try, at 
least in one trench, the effects of mulching, 
which is an important part of the system. In 
the Rural'b tests of last year the mulched 
trenches increased the yield over the un¬ 
mulched trenched S8 bushels per acre, both 
fertilized with essentially the same quantity 
and kinds of fertilizers. Two inches of cut 
straw, coarse hay, or wheat, rye, barley or 
oat chaff, will serve the purpose, and if by its 
use, the yield can be increased as in the above 
experiment, surely our farmers can well 
afford to apply it. 
Our trench system will be found not to re¬ 
quire the additional labor and expense that 
many suppose. But in the other case, if the 
increased yield will more than repay the cost, 
why not adopt it? Let every one of our far¬ 
mer or gardener readers bury bis incredulity 
or prejudices for the once, and give the method 
a careful, exaQt trial. A common plow may 
be used to form the trenches by plowiug both 
ways, forming an open or dead furrow—or a 
shovel or listing plow may be used. Let the 
bottom of the trenches be 10 inches wide at 
least. This bottom should be mellowed, and 
the seed potatoes placed one footapait. Cover 
them with an inch or more of soil. Then 
apply the mulch, scattering it eventy over the 
surface-soil of the trench, and then sow the 
complete potato fertilizers at the rate of 500 
pounds (or more) to the acre. Finally, fill the 
trench as lightly as possible with the return 
soil, ridging up as may be, and give level culti¬ 
vation. 
Eurnl (Topics. 
©spctimcttt Grounds of the $ural 
^eui-^orhef. 
THE TULIP-TREE—A NEW VARIEGATED 
VARIETY. 
We have transplanted many Tulip-trees and 
have never lost one. The secret of success 
has been that the stem has been cut off near 
the ground, and the roots transplanted. This 
tree, (botanically Liriodeudron tulipifera)has 
the reputation of being difficult to transplant 
successfully. In the forests, its tall stems, 
often 50 feet in hight without a branch or 
leaf, do not strike one as being suited for or¬ 
namental purposes. But the real beauty of 
the tree is shown only when it stands alone, 
and when the leading branches are cut back 
somewhat from year to y r ear. Theu it becomes 
laden with branches and foliage—the leaves 
growing to twice the size they do when 
hemmed in by other trees. For small lawns, 
the Tulip must not be selected, for, cut it back 
as you may, it still grows with such rapidity, 
when it has acquired some age, that its vital¬ 
ity would be impaired if it were thus re¬ 
strained within narrow limits. 
It is hardy as far north as Canada . The 
flowers appear in early June, and from their re¬ 
semblance to those of single tulips, the tree de¬ 
rives its familiar name. The petals are of a 
yellowish-green color, so that though the tree 
is loaded with flowers, one might not notice 
them unless he gave the tree more than a 
passing glance. The tree is called, variously, 
Virginia Poplar, Saddle Tree (from the trun¬ 
cate shape of the leaves), Canoe-Wood (be¬ 
cause it was used by Indians to make canoes), 
Poplar, White-wood and Tulip—the last of 
which is certainly to be preferred. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
FES 21 
The wood, when placed under ground, is 
said to be exceedingly durable; it is also used 
for shingles, siding, wainscoting and for vari¬ 
ous kinds of furniture. Instances are on re¬ 
cord where rails have been known to last for 
50 years. Though used in many parts of the 
country for building purpose?, it is, neverthe¬ 
less very sensitive to the effects of moisture. 
The tree reaches the diameter of ten feet, a 
hight often of over 100 feet, sometimes 
yielding 10,000 feet of lumber. We saw a tree 
cut for lumber, when we were a boy, that was 
nine feet through inside the bark, aud which, 
after 72 feet in length of saw logs had been 
taken, was still seven feet in diameter. 
In the Spring of last year we purchased a 
specimen of the Variegated Tulip, a true por¬ 
trait of a leaf is shown at Fig 70, (p. 119) 
The lighter portion, early in the season, is 
yellow, the darker portion, light green. La¬ 
ter iu the season the yellow changes to a 
greenish-yellow, aud the contrast is less pro¬ 
nounced. Iu how far the variegation may 
weaken its vigor and give us a tree better 
adapted to small places remaius to be seen. 
POTATO TESTS, CONTINUED. 
Alexander’s Extra Early. Planted 
April 7, dug August 15; an intermediate. 
Yield at the rate of 544.50 bushels to the acre. 
The best five weighed 1 pound 7ounces. They 
averaged 13 to a hill, being small to medium 
in size—80 per cent, in numbers marketable. 
The shape is roundish, flattened; eyes few but 
prominent. Eaten September 10— not dry. 
Late Hoosier. — Received from A. B. 
Coleman, Princeton, Ky. He wrote: “It 
was introduced about five years ago by a 
gentleman of Indiana. Said to be a seedling 
of the Peaebblow, maturing at the Batne time. 
A person received a few specimens from In 
diaua about three years ago, and he has been 
growing it since with much success. It is 
three times as productive as the Peaebblow, 
and more productive than the Mammoth 
Pearl. It is unsurpassed iu keeping qualities. 
It is fine for the table as late as the following 
August. A rotten potato is rarely seen. Its 
size averages very large, there beiug few 
small one. The vine is vigorous and strong, 
aud it is disposed to grow upright until it has 
attained its full size.” 
Planted April 7, dug Sept. 17. Of all the 
many kinds tested last season, the vines of 
this were the last to die. The stems were very 
large, some of them 1}.£ iuch in diameter. 
The tops were tall and upright. Flowers 
white and borne in great abundance. The 
vines, after growing higher than those of any 
others, finally spread out six feet or more, 
forming bushes of stems and foliage. 
The yield was at the rate of 860.43 bushels 
to the acre. The best live weighed three 
pounds four ounces—11 3-9 to a hill, of which 
75 per eeut. (iu number) were marketable. 
The shape is cylindrical, skin buff, pinkish 
about the eyes, which are deep. Eaten Jan. 
25; flesh nearly white and of fair quality. 
Though the yield was large, we should not 
care to contiuue its cultivation on account of 
its stupendous vines and extreme lateness of 
ripening. 
Potentate. Received from the Agricultu¬ 
ral Department, Washington, D. C. Planted 
April 7, dug August 4. An early potato. The 
yield was at the rate of 645.33 bushels to the 
acre—1U).< to a hill, of which five-sixths were 
marketable. None very large, few small. 
Shape, roundish flattened, with deep hollows 
at stem aud seed-end, as shown in our careful 
portrait. Fig. 71, (p.1.31). Few eyes, not deep, 
skin like Beauty of Hebron. The best five 
weighed two pounds four ounces. Eaten Sep¬ 
tember 24. White flesh, mealy and good. 
Bonanza. Also from Agricultural Depart¬ 
ment. Planted April 7, dug August 18. Low 
spreading vines. The yield was at the rate of 
786,50 bushels to the acre. Among the best, 
five weighed 2 pounds 15 ounces—10 5-6 to a 
hill, of which (in numbers) 80 per cent, were 
marketable. The eyes are a little deep, as 
shown at Fig. 72, (p. 121) particularly at seed- 
end, and often deeply depressed at stem end. 
Still they are quite shapely. Skin rosy. 
Quality, fair. 
Gcelph. Recived from W. H. Marcon, 
Guelph, Ontario, Can. Planted April 15, dug 
August 22. Yield, 421.67 to the acre. Low, 
scanty vines. Five of the largest tubers 
weighed 1 pound 4 ounces—to a hill, of 
which 75 per cent, were marketable. Skin 
buff-white, shape rouudish or oblong, some¬ 
times a little flattened. Eyes not deep. Eaten 
September 29—fair quality. This potato was 
tested iu 1883 also. The yield was then at the 
rate of 475.56 bushels to the acre. 
Offinj ijiisbimtini. 
CHEESE-MAKING.—No.l. 
T. D. CURTIS. 
There are various kinds of cheese, aud 
various modes of making it; but I propose to 
briefly describe the later process of making i 
what is known as “American Cheddar,” in¬ 
cluding “Flats” and “Young Americas,” 
which are often pressed from the same curd 
as the Cheddar. Much of the so-called Ched¬ 
dar cheese is not cheddared at all, and derives 
its name from shape, and not from process, or 
even from quality. 
cows. 
In the selection of stock for cheese-making 
it is not worth while to pick cows which give 
milk the richest in butter. Not that such 
milk does not make better cheese, for the 
richer the milk in butter, if properly handled, 
the richer and more palatable will be the 
cheese. But there is not enough distinction 
in price, made by buyers, on quality to pay 
for working a large amount of butter into 
cheese. Fortunately, richness in butter does 
not indicate the proportion of enseine. Milk 
may coutaiu a large proportion of solids aud 
make a good yield of cheese without being 
very fat. Such milk, if properly worked, 
makes a wholesome, nutritious cheese; but 
whether it is as digestible and palatable is yet 
a matter of debate. But I prefer the richer— 
yes, the richest—cheese, though there is not 
enough more money in it to pay for the extra 
richness. A herd for cheese-making, however, 
should give a large flow of milk rich in caseinB 
and fairly rich iu butter. If I were to name 
iu the order of value the breeds best adapted 
to cheese-making, l should say the Holland, 
the Ayrshire, good, common stock, and milk¬ 
ing families of the Short-horns. There are 
individuals among these breeds, that are exeel- 
leu t for butter; but, as a rule, they are better 
adapted to making cheese. The Jersey, the 
Guernsey, the Alderney, the Devon, and the 
new American breed, called the “American 
Holderness,” as a rule, give a moderate flow 
of very rich milk, and are, therefore, more 
profitable for butter-making. It would be a 
great waste to xnix their milk with that of the 
average herds of the country for cheese¬ 
making, or even for butter-making. The 
same would be true of a carefully selected 
herd of common stock that gave very rich 
milk. Indeed, there is always loss to the 
owner of a choice, well-selected herd who 
carries to an ordinary factory the milk 
whether for cheese or butter. His milk, 
though above the average in quality, is mixed 
with that of poorer quality, and while he gets 
only the average price, his superior milk goes 
to bring up the average of the inferior milk, 
and he who produces aud delivers the poor 
milk shares in the dividends belonging to the 
producer of the milk of the highest quality. 
Hence there is great injustice in associated 
dairying, as generally conducted. 
Si )t Ijfxiismafl. 
OUR ANIMAL PORTRAITS. 
SHORT HORN BULL, ACKLAM SHARON 3d. 
We are glad to see the reviving attention to 
the Short-horns, and the increasing demand 
for them. However much superior the Jersey 
may be for butter, or the Holland for milk, 
the Short horn stands pre-eminent as the sire 
of the meat producers, and with proper care 
in the selection and breeding, we believe they 
will yet take an important position iu the 
dairy. On the first page, we present the 
likeness of the Short horn bull, Aeklarn Sharon 
3d, 5444S, a direct descendant ami rich in the 
blood of the Airdrios, of Hubbaek 2d, 281; of 
Favorite, 204; and of Hubbaek, 230; also of 
the Roses, the Rose of Sharon, and the Poppy. 
This bull, last Fall, when 22 months old, 
won first prize in the two year-old-aud-over 
class at the Columbus. Ohio, State Fair. He 
is a fine auiinal, remarkably long aud well- 
developed. As will be seen, he has a large 
bam, carried well down; a broad loin, carry¬ 
ing much depth, and meat well forward along 
the back. He is a bright red—nearly solid 
color. He was got by 4th Airdrie of Sharon 
8074, running back through four of that strain 
to the Duke of Airdrie, 171. His dam wss 
Poppy 10th, running back through four of 
that name, through Red Rose to Imported 
Rose of Sharon. 
Acklam Sharon 3d is the property of Messrs. 
C. C. Walker& Son, New Madison, Darke Co., 
Ohio. Iu giving this likeness we have includ¬ 
ed the surroundings, because they indicate a 
tidy farmer aud present a pleasant rural scene. 
DEVON CATTLE FOR THE SOUTH. 
It is gratifying to note that such a promi¬ 
nent writer as “Stockman” agrees with me, 
that the Devon is the breed of cattle for the 
South, and one which I advocated several 
years ago in the Rural, yet very few- breed¬ 
ers have given Devous any attention. Not 
only among the mountains, but also on the 
rolling lands of the Piedmont section w here 
the grasses are sparse and short, do they 
thrive much better than any others. 
Vance Co., N. C. m. b. prince. 
Slici'p ijiisliaiiDnj, 
SHEEP IN THE UNITED STATES. 
EDWARD W. PERRY. 
Judging from the statements made in 
articles which appeared during the last twelve 
month in live- stock and other periodicals in 
the United States, there was, and indeed is, a 
general belief that many flocks of sheep were 
sent to the butchers by panic-stricken owners 
And there seemed to be quite good reason for 
the existence of that belief, for accounts were 
frequently published of sales of whole flocks 
at prices absurdly low. The Ohio Farmer is 
authority for the assertion that in the county 
in which that paper is published, sheep were 
sold for 75 cents per head. Kaunas men, it 
was currently reported, parted with their 
sheep in some cases at the low price of 50 cents 
each. It is to be regretted that there seems 
to be no reason for doubting the accuracy of 
those reports. If they have been contradict¬ 
ed, the fact has not come to the knowledge of 
one who may claim to bo at least a reasonably 
close reader of the agricultural papers. 
One fact in this connection seems to have es¬ 
caped observation—it is, that if sheep owners 
have been foolish enough to part with their 
flocks fora song, there hare been men shrewd 
enough to buy those flocks; not to send them 
to the shambles, but to keep them for breed¬ 
ing, and for wool-growing. In truth, it will 
not be saying more than is warranted by the 
facts, to assert that the flocks of this country 
have grown larger, instead of smaller, during 
the last twelve month, while the farmer has 
been scolded for throwing away his sheep. 
This statement is based upon the statistics of 
the sheep traffic of the year 1884, which show 
that the number of sheep sent to markets 
where butchers and exporters get their sup¬ 
plies, was considerably less last year than was 
the number sent to those markets in 1883. The 
differences in the total receipts of sheep at the 
principal markets of this country were as be¬ 
low: 
Markets. 
Inc. Dec. 
Kansas City 
St. Louis_ 
Clitenao. 
Pittsburg.,. 
Buffalo. 
New York... 
, 118,299 - 
. - 17,190 
. 51 713 - 
- 4=1,649 
- 190,600 
- 135,414 
Gratifying as this will doubtless be to 
friends of American wool-growing, it is not 
the only pleasiug information to be gathered 
from that source; for those figures show that 
iu 1883 there was a material decline in the rate 
of increase in receipts of sheep at the markets 
named. As those markets are a true index of 
the movement of live stock for consumption 
in the whole country, the decline in the rate 
of growth or the traffic shows that farmers 
had already begun, five years ago, to husband 
their flocks, instead of selling them off, as 
they had been so generally accused of doiug. 
Unless farmers have been themselves eating 
their flocks, or inducing their immediate 
neighbors to do so, the number of sheep now 
in the couutry is larger than it was three 
years ago, rather than smaller. This may 
best be made apparent by giving the yearly 
differences in receipts, as follows; 
INCREASE. 
Peace. 1384. 18S8. 1882. 
Kansas city .118.299 33.915 1,200 
St. Louis. — - 103.691 
Chicago. 51,713 121,080 131.263 
Buffalo . — 162,000 346,650 
New York. — 163.S39 234.736 
1881. 1880. 
29,313 - 
123,457 23,321 
I17.S11 li',69l 
80,150 13,600 
89,424 59.767 
The decrease was, in St. Louis, iu 1883, 44,- 
508; in 1884, in St. Louis, 17,790; in Pittsburg, 
<15,649; in Buffalo, 109,G00; and iu New York, 
135,414. Chicago appears as the only one of 
the great markets that has enjoyed auiucrease 
of receipts in each of the last live years. If 
it were not for the fact that- animals which 
are counted in one market, as in Chicago, may 
appear in the accounts of another market far¬ 
ther east, as in Buffalo, for example, and 
again in New York, the decrease in the several 
markets might be added each year to show 
the total shortage; but to do so would be to 
err. Will it be claiming too much, iu view of 
the above facts, to say that the wool growing 
interest in this couutry appears uot to be 
going down quite us fust us people have beeu 
led to believe it was going? 
Webster's Dictionary, now added to our 
offer to those subscribers who will help extend 
the. Rural's circulation, is a sterling, good 
work and is just what it is represented to be. 
It is worth one dollar. Take your choice—the 
World's Oyclopaidia or Webster's Dictionary 
for one new subscriber, or, for clubs one of 
the $2,800 worth of presents. All are offered 
to presen t subscribers and to them alone. 1.1 
it costs us $5,000, we are determined to be able 
truthfully to soy, as we have been able to say 
for the past seven years: “Our circulation is 
larger than it has ever been before"—and that 
fur 1885 will be something that few other 
farm journals can say, and speak the truth. 
