067 24 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
order to have the lamb grow most rapidly 
and fatten as well as grow, it is necessary to 
cater to the taste of the ewes so as to induce 
them to eat and digest as much food as pos¬ 
sible, so that they may give the lambs plenty of 
milt and that of the richest quality. No 
matter bow much we induce the lamb to eat 
in the way of rich food, in order to produce the 
best results it must have nlenty of ewe’s milk, 
and that which is rich; and it is impossible 
for the ewes to produce this, without at the 
same time becoming fat. If we feed them 
moderately, the lambs may grow well, but 
they will not grow as well, and will not lay 
on fat nearly so fast as when the mothers are 
crowded to their utmost capacity, so that to 
produce the best lambs we necessarily cause the 
ewes to become very fat also. In our experi¬ 
ence in sheep raising and keeping, when a 
sheep has once become very fat it is safe to 
turn it then for mutton. In most cases if 
not so turned, but allowed again to become 
thin, it is very hard to get it up to the same 
degree of fleshiness the second time; and es¬ 
pecially is this the case with a lot of middle 
aged or elderly ewes. Again, when we put in 
a lot of ewes in fair store condition and have 
fed them as high as necessary to produce satis¬ 
factory lambs, even though we did not aim to 
have them the very tips of the market, the 
ewes would necessarily make a very fair gain, 
and it would require only a little extra food to 
finish them olf for mutton, and the difference 
between summer and winter prices would be 
sufficient, addedJo the gain of flesh, to make 
a good profit on the outlay. 
Theu, again, if the same ewes were kept on, 
'and lambs were raised from them several 
years in succession, they would have to be 
kept for the entire year, and the only com¬ 
pensation would be the lamb and the fleece, 
and really not these entirely, because the ewe 
would each year be growing older, and after 
five years old, rapidly less valuable; whereas, 
when we fatten and sell the ewes each year 
we do not get the fresh ones in before the first 
of July, and the majority of them are sold by 
the middle of April, so we Bvoid the expense 
and trouble of keeping them nearly three 
months of the year, and at that season when 
it is the most difficult to furnish them with 
pasturage without encroaching on the mead¬ 
ows; so that, all things considered, we think 
it much the safest and most profitable course 
to sell off all such ewes as we can get fit for 
mutton, and supply their places each year 
with a fresh lot. We then take off the fleece, 
which will be worth one dollar or more, and 
can usually make a gain of 20 to 35 pounds of 
meat and a gain in price of from two to three 
cents per pound, so that the ewe, from all 
these sources of gain, should increase in price 
very nearly or quite sufficient to pay for the 
entire keeping of herself and lamb, leaving 
the lamb as net profit, and we sometimes have 
them do even better than this. 
THE CULL EWES, 
or such as fail for any cause to become suffi¬ 
ciently fleshy for mutton, should be carefully 
looked over, and such as are healthy and have 
failed from no fault of theirs, may be kept on 
for another year; but they should be marked 
in such a way as to be easily known the suc¬ 
ceeding Winter, and all such as do not then 
become fat, together with all such as fail dur¬ 
ing their first Winter’s feeding by reason of 
bad teeth, disease, or any other cause not re¬ 
movable, should be turned off, even though 
their carcasses should be used as hog feed. It 
is sometimes the case that a ewe will do very 
well as a store-ewe and raise a fair lamb, 
though it could not endure the high-pressure 
feeding necessary to produce the best results 
in winter lamb raising. And the person who 
engages in this business cannot too quickly 
learn to distinguish those characteristics of 
build and general appearance which mark 
those sheep best able to bear the strain and 
most certain to prove a success. With proper 
selection not one sheep in one hundred should 
fail, and on such selection much of the profit 
depends. ^ 
A ROYAL SHROPSHIRE. 
We have frequently shown portraits of this 
celebrated breed of sheep, aud explained their 
nature aud origin. In these days of low prices 
for wool, many farmers are seriously con¬ 
sidering the question of seeking a “general- 
purpose” sheep—one that will improve the 
mutton qualities and at the same time yield a 
fair amount of wool. It is a fact that sheep 
have, in many instances, been bred almost 
exclusively for wool, without regard to the 
quality of their mutton. The comparatively 
small consumption of mutton is doubtless due 
to this fact. With a superior quality of meat, 
the demaud would be largely increased. In 
the larger cities, chop-houses advertising 
“English South-Down Mutton,” do a very good 
business. Early spring lambs command a 
good price, and the rearing of them provides 
profitable work fer the winter season. Per¬ 
haps the beat breed for grading up our sheep 
is the Shropshire. We show, at Fig. 466 (page 
711), an animal that is considered by the Lon¬ 
don Live Stock Journal one of the best 
rams ever exhibited. This ram, Royal Pres¬ 
ton, is the property of Mr. Joseph Beech, of 
England. He has won many first prizes, oue 
over 92 rams at the Royal Show at Preston. 
As an evidence of his value, it is stated that 
be has been let for service for the coming 
season for $500. 
Hiurnl topics. 
THE YIELD OF THE POOR-SOIL HALF¬ 
ACRE OF POTATOES PLANTED AND 
CULTIVATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH 
THE RURAL’S TRENCH-MULCH SYS¬ 
TEM. _ 
BROADCAST FERTILIZATION , LEVEL 
CULTIVATION. 
NO EXPENSE SPARED TO PRODUCE A 
LARGE YIELD. 
THE BEST YIELD AT THE RATE OF 280 BUSHELS 
TO THE ACRE. 
A Very Unfavorable Season From First to 
Last 
The lay of the half acre is perfectly level, 
save that it dishes a little about the middle 
where it needs draining. It had received but 
15 loads of manure to the acre in as many 
years, and bad beeu cropped every year. As 
nearly asit can be described in a word, the 
soil is a loam inclining a trifle to clay rather 
than to sand. 
It was plowed eight ioches deep the 26th 
of November of last year, when the land was 
crusted with frost. The next day it was 
harrowed with an Acme Harrow. On the 
28th the following fertilizers were sown broad¬ 
cast: 600 pounds of Mapes’s high-grade bone- 
black superphosphate, furnishing 25 per cent, 
of soluble and available phosphoric acid; 400 
pounds sulphate of potash. 50 per cent, sul¬ 
phate of potash, and 40 per cent, sulphate of 
magnesia; 400 pounds kaiuit, furnishing 24 
per cent, sulphate of potash, and also magnesia 
and common salt. 
It will be seen that the above fertilizers 
contained do nitrogen. Had this been applied 
at that time, probably it would have passed 
through the soil before Spring. 
On the afternoon of the same day the land 
was again harrowed so as to incorporate the 
fertilizers with the surface soil. 
The expenses up to this date for fertilizers 
and labor were $26 20. 
The Spring opened so late that it was April 
16 before work could be continued, and even 
then it was questioned whether it would not 
be wiser to wait awhile and take the chances 
of planting too late rather than attempt to 
prepare a soil which was still cold and wet. 
But the former course was injudiciously de¬ 
cided upon. Two bags (400 pounds) of 
Mapes’s Potato Fertilizer were sown and 
harrowed in east and west. The laDd was 
then marked north and south, the marks 
three feet apart. The trenches were made 
four inches deep (they should have been deeper) 
with a Syracuse Shovel Plow, which did not 
serve the purpose as well as was desired. 
THE SEED-PIECES. 
It was intended to plaut only Hodgmau’s 
Seedling and Green Mountain Potatoes, as 
these in our rich-soil plots bad given the 
greatest yields of any. Ascertaining at the 
last moment, however, that but one barrel of 
seed of the Green Mountain could be procured, 
it was determiued to make the Hodgmau 
seed go as far as possible, aud to fill out with 
other kinds. The Hodgman Seedling potatoes 
were found to be frost-bitten in their passage 
from New Hampshire. They were cut to oue 
eye generally, though two would have been 
preferred, The two barrels of seed contained 
1,346 potatoes which, placing one piece every 
foot in the trench, planted 21 of tbe37 trenches 
of the plot. In the next nine rows, Green 
Mountain seed was planted. Then followed 
other kinds, which will be noted further on. 
The pieces were covered with a hoe with an 
inch of soil, and upon this soil a further appli¬ 
cation of potato fertilizer was given at the 
rate of 800 pounds to the acre. 
THE MULCH, 
consisting of coarse, swamp hay, was run 
through a cutter and cut in about two-iuch 
lengths. This was strewn over the fertilizer 
two inches thick from wall to wall of the 
trench. The soil was then hoed over the 
mulch, forming ridges two inches above the 
surface, which soon settled to a level with the 
adjacent soil after a few rains. 
, The cost of the coarse meadow hay used is 
about $3 a ton three miles from the field. It 
was estimated that one ton would mulch an 
acre, the trenches 15 inches wide and three 
feet apart measuring from the middle of each. 
The entire cost of the hay, cutting and dis¬ 
tributing it in an economical way when entire 
accuracy, regardless of cost, is not aimed at, 
was estimated at $12 per acre. 
NITROGEN 
was applied in the three forms (mixed to¬ 
gether) of blood, nitrate of soda and sulphate 
of ammonia, at the rate of 490 pounds to the 
acre, as soon as most of thf sprouts showed 
above ground. This was broadcasted, the land 
receiving immediitely afterwards a shallow 
cultivation. 
THE WEATHER 
continued cold with frequent showers Most 
of the pieces, however, had sprouted by June 
10, except the Hodgman’s Seedling. It was 
thus early evident that this portion of the 
plot—21 87tbs of the half acre—would prove 
a failure. Only here and there could a sprout 
be seen, while the pieces not sprouted were 
either quite hard or else were rotting in the 
ground. Probably not over two-thirds of the 
seed-pieces ever sprouted, and one-third of 
these were so late iu sprouting that no tubers 
formed—not even small ones. The weather 
suddenly changed to excessive heat—the hot¬ 
test of the season—and drought set in. The 
stems were very large, the foliage so ample 
that all the land was entirely covered, except 
that occupied by the Hodgman’s Seedling. 
All who saw the plants at this time witb 
their luxuriant, dark-green leaves predicted a 
fine success for the Rural system—a prediction, 
which, we mourn to say, was not fulfilled. 
We have no excuse to offer, however. The 
yield is presented below which will scarcely 
need verification as “doubting Thomases” 
rarely doubt the results of experiments which 
turn out agreeably to their views. 
To admit, however, that the R.URA.L itself 
by this failure is convinced that the principles 
of its system of potato culture are in effect 
wrong, would be premature. We do admit 
that the system failed last season. But in 
other seasons it has succeeded far beyond the 
extra cost of its practice, 
THE YIELD. 
Beyond the half acre, a trench was plowed 
in order to test the natural fertility of the soil 
as well as the effects of a comparatively small 
quantity of fertilizer, both without mulch. 
Hodgman’s Seedliug from our owu seed (not 
frost bitten) was planted—90 pecks of each. The 
seed nof fertilized, yielded 163 bushels per 
acre. The seed fertilized, (at the rate of 400 
pounds of Mapes's Potato Fertilizer per acre,) 
yielded 1S5 bushels per acre, or an increase of 
23 busbeis. 
YIELD OF THE HALF-ACRE (12 25). 
The State of Maine, the first row of the plot 
proper (east) yielded at the rate of 240 bushels, 
to the acre, the weight of pototoes dug from 
this row being 180 pounds. The row is mark¬ 
ed 1 on the top of the left band column next 
the arrow, in the diagram. (See page 709) ’ 
This row, as well as eight others, was 18 feet 
shorter than the rest,on accouut of the inter¬ 
ference of au apple tree, as shown. 
Seedling No. 1. There were two rows (Nos. 
2 and 3) of this, which together yielded but 
195 pounds. This is at the rate of 130.25 
bushels to the acre. 
The Corliss Matchless (row No. 4 and a part 
of row No. 5) yielded 150 pouuds, or at the rate 
of 184 bushels to the acre. 
The Underwood (116 pieces, row 5) yielded 
115 pounds, or at the rate of 288 bushels to the 
acre. 
The Greenleaf (98 pieces, parts of rows 5 aud 
6) yielded 75 pounds, or at the rate of 184 
bushels to the acre. 
The Bonanza (78 pieces, row 0) yielded 65 
pounds, or at the rate of 200.40 bushels to the 
acre. 
The Montreal (85 pieces, parts of rows 6 aud 
7i yielded 86 pouuds, or at the rate of 24.3.26 
bushols to the acre. 
The rest, of row No. 7 was an experiment to 
ascertain whether anything is gained by roll¬ 
ing the cut surfaces iu plaster, and keeping 
the pieces one week before planting, over 
planting freshly-cut seed without plaster. The 
60 pieces (Green Mountain) plastered and kept 
a week before planting, yielded 248 tubers 
(204 marketable) which weighed 59# pounds. 
This is at the rate of 238 bushels to the acre. 
The 90 pieces (Groeu Mountain) planted as 
soon as cut without plaster, yielded 498 tubers 
(347 marketable), which weighed 105 pouuds. 
This is at the rate of 280.58 bushels to the acre 
—the largest yield of all. 
We come now to the nine full rows of 
Green Mountain. The yield was 27# bushels 
of 60 pouuds, which is at the rate of 224.05 
to the acre. 
Finally, we have 21 rows of the Hodgman’s 
Seedling from the lrosted seed, The yield 
was but 24 1-3 bushels, which is at the rate of 
but 86 (85.74) bushels to the acre! 
THE COST. 
Not counting the cost of harvesting the crop 
or of the rent of the land, or of the writer’s 
time and labor, we estimate the cost of raising 
this half acre of potatoes at not less than $60. 
The entire crop would not sell to-day for more 
than $40. 
farm Copies. 
EXPERIENCE ON A RUN-DOWN FARM 
CHARLES A, GREEN. 
TROUBLE WITH FENCES. 
The first year on the farm the dilapidated 
condition of the fences annoyed me. There 
was a stone wall nearly a quarter of a mile 
long, which formed a line fence near a large 
piece of timber. Over this wall, bird hunters, 
squirrel hunters, coon hunters and their dogs 
had scrambled for over 20 years, each hunter or 
his dog having torn out with bis toes one or 
more stones in ascendingor desceudiog. Who 
has not gazed at an old stone wall with inde¬ 
cision as to what course to pursue with it? It 
is usually too good to tear down, and too un¬ 
stable to tie left standing. 1 puzzled my brain 
over this problem some time, and finally 
employed men to relay the worst parts, and 
was much pleased with the improvement in 
appearauce that resulted. Hunters, however, 
continue to scramble over it, and I find that 
it requires annual repairs, or else com¬ 
plete abandonment. There were numerous 
other stone fences about the place in a 
similar condition, which I caused to be re¬ 
paired at considerable expense. These walls 
were continually being overthrown by the 
frosts, or by parties climbing over them, or by 
one cause aud another until I became entirely 
disgusted with everything in the shape of a 
stone fence. Such fences are endurable dur¬ 
ing the first few years after their construction, 
but when they begin to crumble they are 
difficult to repair. They are expensive and 
never entirely satisfactory. It is desirable 
to have fences, if any, that you can remove 
at will, and a stone wall, whether new or old, 
is immovable except at tbe expenditure of a 
vast amount of labor. 
Rail fences gave me quite as much trouble 
as stone walls. When l first visited the farm 
I asked my companion what tore down the 
fences, and spread the rails about in such con¬ 
fusion. He replied: “The wind.” I could 
scarcely believe that the winds blew with such 
severity that they could remove rails that it 
would be difficult for a stroug man to carry, 
but such has proved to be a fact. The high 
autumn winds disturb more rail fences than is 
usually suspected. I have known large cedar 
rails to lie carried five or six rods in such a 
gale. I employed gangs of meu to tear down 
rail fences, and to relay them with stakes aud 
wires. We also built uew straight rail fences 
dividing large fields, but I have found that it is 
almost impossible to build a rail fence that 
will remain permanently iu position. Frosts, 
winds, and itchy or uuruly auimals of all 
kinds ever have a tendency to bear them over, 
or break them down, and where these do not 
cause trouble, rot and rust do. Were I to oc¬ 
cupy another run-down farm 1 should give 
myself no uueasiness about the condition of 
the fences, except the hue fences, wffiicb, of 
course, should always be kept in order. If the 
walls had gaps in them, I should let them re¬ 
main, stretching barbed wire over them: if tbe 
rail fences were blown down or decayed, I 
would tear them away, aud by plowing under 
obnoxious weeds that grew on their founda¬ 
tions, remove a uuisance. I am satisfied that 
the enormous expenditure of mouey annually 
by the farmers of the United States for fences 
is often needless. It costs au average farmer 
not less than $100 per year, one year with 
another, to maintain fences on a farm of 150 
acres. 
ADVANTAGES OF SOILING. 
This expense would go a long way toward 
payiug for the extra labor necessary iu fur¬ 
nishing cattle green food from the fields, and 
this would be fed in cool stables, where flies 
and mo quitoes do not aunoy. I do not pas- 
ture^my horses at all, and my cows depend 
mainly upon soiling, simply having the run of 
a field not desirable for plowing, to get exer¬ 
cise aud a fresh nibble of grass. It is a waste¬ 
ful aud slovenly habit, pasturing fields that 
are adapted to grain and fruits. Such a field 
of 10 acres is usually pastured about June 1st, 
and will not furnish feed for more than sevou 
or eight cows, and then often in Insufficient 
quantities. Cattle trample over tbe young 
herbage, causing it to be distasteful to those 
that follow; they bite its foliage off close, 
thus stopping growth aud permitting the 
weeds to grow with full vigor, leaviug the 
surface hard and barren at the end of the sea¬ 
son. In case the same field had been permit¬ 
ted to mature a crop of hay, it would have 
furnished food for more than double the num- 
