BEC § 
THE BUBAL NEW-YOBKEH 
pays, however, as the fruit crop following it 
will prove. In short-jointed varieties, eight or 
ten buds are left, but the alternate ones are 
fruit, the larger and finer the fruit will be' 
This process also produces full, plump and 
well devoloped buds on the canes to be left for 
the noxt year's fruit- 
finally removed. As an illustration of the 
tendency of the sap and fruit to the top or ex¬ 
tremity of the vines, cases are noted where 
single canes have been trained to the upper 
windows of a house, above the shade of trees, 
and there developed fruit. Mr. Williams be¬ 
lieves in, and practices 
ing. Some advo¬ 
cates of long pruning 
claim that the third 
and fourth buds on 
a cane produce the 
best clusters, and 
some assert that the 
axillary buds (those 
that emanate at the 
juncture of the 
young cane with the 
old wood), will never 
produce fruit. This 
depends upon the 
treatment the vines 
have received. If 
allowed to grow at 
random and take care 
of themselves, they 
seldom fruit—purely 
from lack of develop¬ 
ment. The sap is 
not obliged to stop 
and pay proper at¬ 
tention to these buds, 
but with judicious 
summer pruning, 
they are made equal 
to the emergency. 
In fact, this short- 
spur system depends 
absolutely on the 
success of the sum¬ 
mer pruning. Mr. 
Williams has seen 
vines ten years old, 
treated on this sys¬ 
tem, some of the 
spurs on which were 
not over one-and- 
one half inch long; 
in some cases they 
were so short that 
the base bud seemed 
to start almost out 
of the old wood. 
Yet this bud gave 
as large a cluster as 
any, and does so 
year after year, 
which result is sim¬ 
ply due to this full 
development result¬ 
ing from summer 
pruning. 
COVERED YARDS. 
SUMMER PRUNING. 
It will be noticed that two buds often appear 
from what seemed but one iD a dormant state. 
The first operation of summer pruning is to 
remove one of these and all superfluous ones. 
The weakest is generally the lowest. This 
should be done at once when the growth is 
feeble. In case of a very strong growth, we 
may wait till the embryo clusters appear. 
The shoots that remain are pinched oil’ at one 
or two leaves beyond the last cluster of fruit, 
and all laterals are stopped at one leaf. This 
pinching process is repeated whenever the 
bearing canes and laterals make a fresh sturt 
in wood making. This treatment retards the 
sap and retains it where it is most needed to de¬ 
velop bud, leaf ami fruit. The leaves remain¬ 
ing Increase largely in size from this treat¬ 
ment. It is thought that strong leaves of 
this kind are most capable of resisting mildew, 
and that the larger" the leaf area next the 
.TAMES SINCLAIR. 
Insufficiency of farm buildings in England; 
causes thereof; increased importance of 
cattle raising; advantages of covered yards 
for stock; losses of yard manure by leach- 
ing and evaporation ; profits of covered 
yards; costuj than; who is to pay for them ? 
No feature in the agricultural ecouomy of 
England is more striking than the insufficiency 
and inefficiency of the farm buildings. It 
might be supposed that in an old, a weaLthy, 
and a thickly populated country the farm 
houses would be plentiful and suitable; but 
one has ouly to travel about the island to find 
that this is not the case. The cause of the 
deficiency is not far to seek. It is to he found 
in the land system, which permits the heavy 
mortgaging of estates and the limitation of 
the landlord's interest to that of his own life. 
The security of Louure is not such as to induce 
the occupier to make the expenditure neces¬ 
sary, and the theory of English tenure is that 
the capital of the tenant should be free for 
the cultivation of the land, the proprietor 
supply ing all permanent structures aud other 
durable improvements. Of course, there are 
numerous exceptions, where landlords with 
plenty of money at their command have pro¬ 
vided admirable buildings on their farms; but 
these only make more apparent the wretched 
hovels in which, in many cases, farmers have 
to keep their cattle in Winter, and bring them 
in a fit state to market. In recent years the 
inadequacy of farm buildings Las been more 
severely felt than formerly. The changes 
that have occurred in British agriculture have 
compelled fanners to look more to the breed 
iug and fattening of live Btonk for a return for 
the investment of their capital than to the 
growing of grain, which, with Increasing 
foreign competition, has ceased to yield pro¬ 
fit. But the pressure of reduced rentals has 
rendered land owners more unable than ever 
to supply the deficiency of good buildings. 
In these circumstances, the paper read by 
Mr. John Coleman of York, better known as 
the agricultural editor of the “Field,” at a 
nieeting of the Farmers' Club in London ou 
November 2d, seemed to poiut to desirable 
changes in the land system, which he did not 
notice. Mr. Coleman confined his attention 
solely to the advantages and modes of con¬ 
struction of covered yards, aud perhaps that 
was enough to occupy the afternoon, while the 
body before whom he spoke is powerless to do 
anything in the direction of bringing about 
such changes as will attract capital to the land. 
Mr. Coleman announced that he appeared as 
an advocate of covered yards, and ho divided 
his paper into five sections, treating in turn 
of the increased value of the manure, the 
saving of fitter, aud economy of food gained 
by the system, aud tbeu dealing with details 
of construction and return. As to the first 
mutter, he said recent discoveries all tended 
to demonstrate theiroportanceof using farm¬ 
yard manure in a fresh and not rotten con¬ 
dition. He entered iuto this subject at leugtb; 
but in the discussion which followed. Dr. 
Voelcker pointed out that the dam¬ 
age to manure came not so much from 
evaporation as from washing with rain. So 
it appeared, according to chemical authority, 
that in a properly covered manure heap the 
damage to the dung would uot be so great as 
Mr. Coleman believed, while it was also 
proved that even iu covered yards a certain 
kind of fermeutation takes place. As to the 
profits from covered yards, Mr. Coleman cal¬ 
culated that on each beast for a period of 
eight months, there would be a gain of ISs 
($4.37) on account of the increased valued the 
manure and saving of labor; 80ft ($1.80) as the 
saving of one ton of straw, and l(Js (#3 88) as 
the saving of food at Od (12 cents) a head per 
week for 32 weeks—the total saving for 
covered yard, compared with open yard, be¬ 
ing, according to his estimate, 64s ($13,18), 
Of course, this calculation is subject to modi¬ 
fication ; but there can be no doubt that the 
saviug is very considerable. 
Mr. Clare Sewell Read, M. P. for Norfolk, 
whospokein the subsequent discussion, said 
that he paid his landlord £7 4s. ($35 08) for a 
covered yurd which accomodated 8U cattle, 
and if the saving was only £1 ($4 80) per head, 
he considered he had made a very good bar¬ 
gain. Mr. Coleman showed that roofs could 
be constructed at from 2*. Od. (00 cts.) to Os. Od. 
($L57)a yard superficial,according to four plans 
he bad described, and if tiles were preferred, au 
ordinary framed roof could bo made at about 
7s. Od.($1.82) ayard. Assuming the highest cost 
and that 120 square feet of ground were re¬ 
quired for each beast, they had l.'fi.j yards, at 
7s. Od. ($1 82), which came to £5 (<21 83. To re¬ 
pay that amount in twenty years, interest and 
principal, at 6>£ per cent., an unnual charge 
of Os. 0d. ($1.57). He insisted particularly 
ou the necessity of perfect ventilation of the 
yards, 
Mr. Coleman gave a mass of details as to 
construction, of which it would be impossible 
to convey an Idea In a brief notice. He proved 
conclusively the advantages of covered yards, 
and there was singular uuauimity iu the dis¬ 
cussion which followed as to the benefits of 
the system. One gentleman (Mr. W. Stratton) 
advocated the tying up of cattle in sheds. But, 
after all, in this country, the great question 
is “Who is going to supply these erections;” 
Landlords are uot omy pretty severely hit in 
their purses by the prevailing depression even 
ix cases where formerly there was some money 
to spare, but the air is thick with rumors of 
impending changes in the land system of the 
country. Until times revive and until it is 
definitely decided what the future of English 
land-owning and holding is to be, I am afraid 
that there is little prospect of a wide exten¬ 
sion of the system of covered yards. 
London, England, Nov. 5. 
FEEDING CATTLE IN THE WEST. 
NO. 3. 
PROFESSOR J W. SANBORN. 
Method of fattening cattle at the West; little 
profit now in fattening In winter; an unfa’ 
vorabte exhibit; approaching change, in 
methods; winter fattening, as now prac¬ 
ticed, should be abandoned; best substitute 
plan; a favorable exhibit due to a change. 
The usual method of fattening cattle hero 
is by feediug whole corn, either thrown 
on the ground in brokeu ears or put iu broken 
ears in the trough or fooding box; though 
some shell the corn. In addition to coru, 
cattle have the free run'of hay stacks and 
corn-fields, helping themselves. The bulk of 
them receive no shelter; but some ure 
protected by an open straw shed. On full 
feed, they consume a half bushel, or more, of 
coru daily, while they ary followed by shotes, 
averaging alioufc one-and-one-half to a full- 
fed steer. 
Against the feeding of whole corn to steers, 
at 25 cents per bushel, I have little to say, as, 
commercially speaking; it will not pay to 
grind it at 8.% cents per bushel—the charge 
here. It is a pity, however, that a country 
should be settled so much faster than it can 
be soundly developed tbafc corn has to be 
raised and drawn to market for 20 cents a 
bushel, for which figure it sells in this 
(Boone) county; for such a wicked waste is 
involved, and no more remuneration is receiv¬ 
ed, than could be readily earned as a day 
laborer. 
But against the method as a whole, there is 
much to be said from the standpoint of pres¬ 
ent conditions. All agree that the profit that 
formerly attended winter feeding of cattle is 
uot now to be expected. It may be said that 
profit 1ms utterly disappeared when a critical 
view of the matter is taken. Men may still 
make money at winter feeding, as it is com¬ 
monly understood, by the speculative method 
of buying shrewdly on somebody’s mistake 
aud ignoring the time and capital involved. 
I assert, however, that there is in the legiti¬ 
mate situation no profit now in the winter 
fattening of cattle, conducted in the present 
way, by which the resulting manure is ueg- 
lected. 
I will make up the account as follows, to 
wit: 
Cost of l.'kJO-poUud steer at I cents.$1K 
Fecit In UK)(lays -SO bushels corn at 3U cents.... 15 
Hay one ton eaten ami wasted. 5 
fare, sales, delivery, etc. 1.50 
Interest and risk—trlsk SO cents). 1.90 
Interest and risk on shotes. 60 
Cost. m 
Cr. By 1.875 pounds of steer at -ID* ets.105.82 
“ '■ 150 •• of i;nlu on shote at :i^c 5.'J5 $70.57 
Loss.......gi.vi 
When pork is four cent9 (it is but three cents 
now), and when steers average a cent gain in 
market by feeding 100 days (they do not now), 
then the balance will be the other way by 
about the figures given as loss. The facts 
are now that feeders ure held at such good 
rates, that it is not to be expected that they 
will average a cent gain for feeding for only 
100 days, and longer feeding will give no 
better net showing. There is wealth enough 
now iu the West, so that feeding cattle are 
held, unless the price warrants sale for others 
to fatten, or rather competiou for these feeders 
gives them a good price. 
There is also a gradual tendency towards 
higher prices for corn, and hay has a higher 
range of value than formerly. This move¬ 
ment in the value of corn and hay to a higher 
level of price will be more sharply defined 
during each decade of the future. The best 
corn and grass area of tho country is now 
comparatively well settled with farmers, 
excepting in the area for grass. In the frigid, 
unsettled grass urea of the North, the long 
Winters and the absence of corn will forbid 
the most economical winter fattening. 
We are certainly on the eve of a change iu 
our methods of cattle fattening and care, Iu 
this matter, l do not. speak alone from my 
own experience as a farmer handling cattle. 
It has boon my privilege to mingle with the 
farmers of this State, and observe their mode 
of thinking and gain their view*. The con- 
vietiou is growing general that winter fatten¬ 
ing has seen its best days here, aud that some 
kind of change is called for; but just what 
change has uot become well formulated. 
They are not quite ready to accept intensive 
farming with crop rotations, barns, saving of 
waste fodder, and more grass and less corn-fed 
beef, as the comiug method. 
Winter fattening of cattle is bouud to de¬ 
crease until the relative values of winter and 
summer beef grow wider apart, aud summer 
beef increases iu vulue in accordance with 
the decreased per cent, of winter fed cattle. 
My uutiesltutiug advice to Western farmers is 
to give up this winter feeding system with its 
unnuturul system of hog feediug ou tho excre¬ 
ments of animals and its equally uuuutural 
and brutal open-air feediug of shotes as an 
accompaniment of stock feeding, and to make 
the pork, as I advised iu the last number, in 
seven months of warm weather aud of grass. 
What, then, shall be done with the balance 
of the corn that is not to bo fed to pigs? Sell 
ill Never. For the Winter, give the steers 
tho protection of a straw shed, feed them in 
four daily rations, twd iu the morning and 
two at night, in cheaply constructed racks. 
If your corn fodder is secured, give them 
clover hay for tho morning’s ration and the 
corn fodder and straw for a night’s ration. 
Two or three quarts of corn daily aud this 
fodder, secured as 1 secure it, will keep the 
cattle growing about a pound a day. Turn 
them iuto a good pasture and sell them in 
September at a rate per pound nearly as high 
as in March. 
I may give my experience on this farm, 
which I found without barns for shelter. The 
whole Byatom of farming was changed. In 
the next number I wish to advise a modifica¬ 
tion of our method of farming, to meet the 
needs of the future. One-hundred aud fifty 
feet of leau-to shed with drop doors on the low 
or closed side, through which the hay was fed 
from stacks iuto racks, were built on one side 
