FEB 26 
4 
4 
ening classes are strongly interested in. The 
government can do nothing at so slight a cost, 
which will do so much good to so many people. 
But the matter is complicated by the apparent 
need of making an equal reduction on all mer¬ 
chandise sent through the mails. If the rate 
is made four cents a pound on all such, it is as¬ 
serted that the'government will lose heavily 
on all long routes, and be overwhelmed with 
this class of matter. But four cents a pound 
is $80 a net ton, or $800 per small car-load, 
without regard to length of haul, and it does 
seem as though this ought to pay cost. The 
real bottom of the agitation is the universal 
disgust at the ^extortionate rates of express 
companies. 
Express Charges.— The enterprising men 
who originated the express business were pub¬ 
lic benefactors; but, later, this business fell 
into the hands of rings formed of railway 
officials, who have made a complete monopoly 
of it, to the injury of both the railroad stock¬ 
holders and the public. Today this monopoly 
is au incubus upon the people—extortionate, 
impudent and apparently independent of all 
control. The only way this “combine” can 
possibly be countered and brought to reason 
is by the establishment of a complete parcel- 
post system, in connection with the post-office. 
That is what we must come to, and why 
should not the whole country make a stroug 
call for it, in connection with the farmer’s de¬ 
mand for cheap postage on seeds? It is truly 
a matter of national importance. 
Ensilage with Ears. —At a recent agri¬ 
cultural meeting I heard a dairyman give his 
experience with ensilaged field corn, of which 
the ears had nearly reached maturity before 
cutting. Ho declare< 1 it to be no better for 
milk or butter than silage which was cut as 
soon as the stalks had made their full growth. 
I suppose that really at this stage of growth 
the corn plant has about all the nutrimeut in 
it that it ever acquires, and perhaps m the 
best form for assimilation. If that is the 
fact, iff would seem to determine the right 
time for cutting. 
Orchard Protection. —I was rather sur¬ 
prised to see it stated by “Grundy” (page 72) 
that rabbits will gnaw through dry wood to 
get at the bark of fruit trees. I have for 
nearly 20 years protected my orchard by tying 
lath tor for large trees old barrel staves cut 
in two), about the trees in the fall, and have 
never seen a tooth-mark upon this protection, 
though a rabbit swamp lies quite uear, and 1 
have killed rabbits in my barnyard, often 
with a stick. I think it must only have been 
the string that was gnawed. I drive the ends 
of the wood au inch or so into the soil, and tie 
with a single turn of strong cotton twine at 
the top, and I have never had a single tree 
hurt by rabbits or mice, .in au orchard of over 
1,000 trees. 
“What the American people have never been 
able to understand is the secret of (Senators 
becoming millionaires upon $5,000 salaries, 
says the Western Rural and Stockman,” quotes 
the Rcral, page 76. The thing I have never 
been able to understand is, what the American 
people have become so fond of sending men 
who are already millionaires to the Sentate for, 
unless it be on the same ground that caused 
the railway superintendent to decline toemploy 
a conductor who did not already possess a gold 
watch, a fast horse ami a house of his own. 
But so long as the people are no more particu¬ 
lar than they usually seem, about whom they 
send to their State legislature, it is not so very 
strange, after all, that millionaires should 
become candidates for our national “House of 
Lords.” 
TOBACCO RAISING IN NORTH CARO¬ 
LINA.—V. 
M. B. PRINCE. 
Nearly all of our tobacco is sold at auc¬ 
tion, aud for this purpose warehouses are 
established and conducted as private enter¬ 
prises, certain charges bedng paid by the sell¬ 
ers in warehouse commissions, auctioneers’ 
fees, etc. These warehouses are one-story 
structures, covering considerable ground (an 
extensive floor being important) well lighted, 
usually by skylights. On delivery to the 
warehouse the tobaeeo is neatly j tiled on trucks, 
weighed and a ticket attached giving weight 
and owner’s name. Then it is placed on the 
floor in long rows, one grade in each pile. 
These vary in size from two pounds up to 1,000 
pounds. It is almost impossible to convey au 
idea of the noise and animation attendant up¬ 
on a tobacco sale when there is a heavy 
“break.” The rumble of the ti-ueks over the 
smooth floor, the cry of the auctioneer us he 
runs off the sales at the rate of four or five 
piles per minute, the lively bidding by 80or40 
buyers, and behind them their assistants gath¬ 
ering up and removing the purchases of 
their respective employers, all combine to 
make a scene of business excitement seldom 
equaled. Groups* of farmers are “scattered 
here and there, all watching the progress of 
the sale with solicitude, as on the results often 
depends all their pay for the year’s labor. 
For removal shallow baskets about four feet 
square, convenient for loading on carts, are 
used, upon which several hundred pounds can 
be piled. The dealers occupy large “prize 
houses,” when experts are employed in hand¬ 
ling tobacco. Tiie “hands” are untied aud a 
closer grading'tbau the ordinary farmer can 
give,*is made. * The tobacco is untied, picked, 
tied again, bulked down, hung up exposed to 
the air, protected from the air, and is the ob¬ 
ject of constant attention in general. Here 
though the grades are not reduced in number, 
they bear different names, those given here 
being what are recognized in the outside 
world, namely, “wrappers’' first, second and 
third “cutters” (used for cigarettes); “smok¬ 
ers,” “fillers,” throe grades; and lastly, 
“scraps.” For shipping, hogsheads are used 
made of five-eighth inch piue'staves 55 inches 
long with 46-inch heads, onil containing an 
average of 1,200 pounds. The “hands” are 
packed in a jteculiar and 'very neat manner. 
Fig. 112. 
the packer sitting on a'semi-circular plank, 
resting on the tobacco—(Fig. 112). He moves 
from side to side as the work progresses. 
Previous to “ prizing,” the hogshead is placed 
in the press, the bottom for convenience being 
set below the surrouudfug floor, and when 
full the screw is turned down ou the head, 
(see Fig. 118). This pressure is repeated and 
more tobacco is added if it is desired to make 
an extra heavy package. The Lead being se¬ 
cured, and the hogshead weighed and marked, 
we bid the tobacco good bye, until some of it 
returns in the form of plug, smoking or cigar¬ 
ettes. 
Within a few years there has been a change 
in the immediate destination of our bright to¬ 
bacco. Formerly speculators were almost the 
only buyers, all shipping to Richmond, Va., 
but latterly there has come on our market a 
strong class of buyers, the agents of manufac¬ 
turers in all parts of the United States, includ¬ 
ing the Pacific Coast, and also Canada. Borne 
is also sent direct, to Liverpool, yet more than 
one-half goes to Richmond. We buve a few 
manufactories aud should have more, as we 
have every facility for their operation. It is 
said that the colored operative is a failure in 
cotton factories as the hum of the machinery 
puts him to sleep, but hi- is at homo in tobacco 
from the plant lied to the final consumption of 
castaway cigar stubs. 
Vance Co., N. C. 
EXPERIMENTING WITH OATS. 
Several allusions have been made in the 
Rural to an experiment conducted in oat- 
raising at the Rural Grounds. Not only 
I, but all Rural readers, no doubt would be 
pleased to bear the results of that experiment. 
My own method, which for a number of 
years has been pursued with pleasure and pro¬ 
fit, is as follows: Select eight to 10 varieties, 
weigh the seed carefully aud sow all at the 
same date in drills, on unmanured ground of 
uniform richness; tend with impartial care. 
At harvest time make the following record: 
1, number of days in ripening; 2, weight of 
straw; 8, strength of straw or tendency to 
lodge; 4, freedom from rust; 5, shelling ten- 
deucy; 0, weight of cleaned grain; 7, quality. 
This last item would include the relative hard¬ 
ness and thickness of the shuck, as well as the 
color and amount of beards adhering to the 
grain. By shucking a quantity of each varie¬ 
ty and weighing the different products in 
chemical scales the relative weight of the 
shucks would be obtained, while their hard¬ 
ness might require another test. This process, 
though a tedious oue, has been pursued once 
or twice by me with satisfactory results. It 
will be found that no one variety will fully 
answer the demands of the above tests, aud a 
compromise must be made by selecting the 
half of the varieties yielding the best average, 
and the following year substituting new varie¬ 
ties for those rejected, and so continuing the 
experiment. 
While accurate aud reliable, results can be de¬ 
duced only after a series of trials, owing to 
varying conditions of soil, insects, seasons, etc., 
a few general conclusions bave been suggested 
to my mind from past experience: I, that an 
early oat is the safest to raise; 2, that no 
variety is actually “rust-proof;” 2, that the 
horse-mauo varieties, as a class, are less pro¬ 
ductive; 4, that hcnv r y tillering is not desir¬ 
able; 5, that many of the so-called new kinds 
are old varieties with new names; 6, that the 
very heavy oats deteriorate more rapidly than 
those of medium weight; 7, that it will pay 
an ordinary farmer to experiment, on a small 
scale, if the work is done with care and intel¬ 
ligence—not otherwise. 
The Welcome, the Clydesdale, the White 
English, the Width Belgian and the Race-horse 
Oats have proved with me to be practically the 
same. Four trials—two by myself and two by 
others—would Indicate that oats, if dry when 
thrashed, will suffer little or nothing from 
shrinkage. Four bushels thrashed Aug. 27, 
weighed ldd?, pounds; tbe same grain on Nov. 
11, a rainy day, turned the scales at 162 
pounds. Other weighings have indicated 
similar variations in keeping with the weather. 
Two trials were continued nearly one year. 
Thus far, of all kinds tested, the Badger Queen 
was the earliest; Ihc Black Tartarian the lut- 
est; the Welcome tlie heaviest; the White 
Zealand the lightest; the American Triumph 
the tallest; the Vermont the shortest and the 
White Schocnen the most prolific. 
Addison Co., Vt. l. w. peet. 
(tfxpmmcnt flkoumb' of the $uval 
POTATOES TRIED IN 1886.— Continued. 
Early Gem, from Johnson & Stokes, Philadelphia, 
Pa. Five pieces yielded lHU pounds, which Is at the 
rillc of 890 bushel* to the acre. The best five weighed 
two pounds 13 ounces. Huff skin, sometimes pinkish. 
Whole number 71; marketable 54, Often smallest at 
Olie end. Eyes medium. Vinos died August 15. 
Howard, from R. A. Howard, osago, Mitchell Co., 
Iowa. Vines died August 12th. Four pieces yielded 
nine pounds, or at the rate of 541.60 bushels per acre. 
Mr. Howard says that It Is a seedling of the Fluke. 
Skin nearly white. Shape inclined to be broader a 
one end than the other, as shown Incur illustration 
Fig. 111. It la sometimes loug, roundish and slightly 
flattened. Eyes not deep or many. Whole number 
48 of which 21 were marketable. Eaten Oct. 14. Flesh 
white; quality of the best. It is Mr. Howard’s No. 4. 
He requested the writer to name It and we have 
done so. 
FmitNAiuHT, from Moses II. Kelsey. Salisbury, 
Vermont. A seedling of the early Vermont 
Vines died Aug. 11. Four pieces yield 10 pounds 
or at the rate of 6u5 bushels to tbe acre. Whole num¬ 
ber 62, of which 43 were »r marketable size. Best five 
weigh He pounds. Nearly white skin, shape long, 
slightly flattened, tapering. Kyessuperlleliilatul few 
Eaten Oct. 12. Flesh nearly white. First-rate in 
quality, mealy and dry. 
PitKam' 8 CHOICE, from L. Putnam, Cambridge, Ver¬ 
mont. Yield at the rate of IM bushels to The acre. It 
Is very early. A clean potato, pinkish skin, oblong 
sometimes flattened, sometimes round aud twice as 
long aa wide. Beet live It, pound. Whole number 28 
of which in were marketable. Fatten Oct, 22 White 
flesh of the drat quality. 
Marshall P. VVildiir, from O. H. Alexander, Char¬ 
lotte, Vermont. It Is an early potato. Yield at the 
rate of 5Sll.N0 bushels to the aero. Whole number from 
five hills 59,-Of which 47 were of marketable size. 
BulT skin with a flesh-colored tint. Eyes medium In 
number uml slightly sunken. Oblong, somewhat flat 
tened, shapely. A promising variety. Eaten Get. 26. 
Nearly while flesh; flrsl rale quality.; 
Colluvia, from O. H. Alexander, Charlotte, Ver¬ 
mont, Vines dead Aug 13. Yield tier uore nt the rate 
of 90S bushels. Potatoes badly disfigured by wire 
worms. Beal live weighed 2 ; q pounds; two-thirds of 
marketable size. Long, flattened, tapering at one 
end flomctlmes at both. Eyes medium, buff skin. 
No notes as to quality. 
Niaoaiia, from same. Vines died Aug. 20. Three 
pieces yielded 1P,.| pounds, oral the rate of 1149.60 
bushels per acre. Best live weighed !i pounds 4 
ouneivi. Whole number 45, marketable 34. Light 
buff sklu. oblong, tapering slight ly towards one end, 
half flattened. Eyes few and medium as to depth. 
Intermediate us to ripening 
I'Kittm-riox, from Eugene Randall, Helchcrtown, 
Mass., who lliiuks 11 Isa sport of the Ueauly of Heb¬ 
ron. "They are Inter," he says “quite productive and 
of the best quality." The vines died August 10. Six 
pieces yielded 13t$ pounds, or at the rate of 544.50 
bushels to the uore. Light bull skin, loug elliptical 
eyes nearly oil surface, flattened, Shapely. It Is a 
nice looking itolaio. There were 49 potatoes of which 
4o were of marketable size. Few small; none very 
large. Eaten Dec,25. Flesh a little yellowish, fair 
quality only. 
Red Kino, from William Murray. Mount Gilead 
Ohio. Four pieces yielded 14 pounds, or nt the rate of 
847 bushels to the acre. Best live weighed RJii pounds, 
very lagre, shape oval, flattened. Eyes medium for so 
a large potato. Butt skin splashed with light-red 
Whole number 37, marketable 25. Irregular In 
shape, Vines dead Aug. 10. Euten Nov. 4. While 
flesh, not very dry. 
Stray Oku, from same. Supposed to be a sport of 
Perfect Gem. Vines dead Aug, 16. Four pieces yield 
ed eight pounds, or at the rate of 4H4 bushels to the 
acre Buff skin, few eyes oven with surface; some 
russet ted. Oblong, flattened. A clean potato. Whole 
number 39, marketable 30. Eaten Nov. 28. Flesh 
nearly white, fair quality. 
Kino’ 8 ExcEtstoit, from o. M. Vlnlt, Stockton. N. Y. 
Said to be a cross between White Elephant and White 
Star. " Medium late," the originator says. Wo Hud It 
to be one of our earliest, ripening July 15. Three 
pieces yielded H-t pounds, or ut llie rule of 342 83 bush¬ 
el* to the acre. Straggles somewhat. Whole number 
38. marketable 22. None large. Slclti white, eyes not 
prominent. Resembles White Stnr In shape. Eaten 
July 25, White flesh, fair in quality, not very dry. 
silver Lake, from W. Alice, liurpe A Co., Philadel¬ 
phia, Pa. Six pieces yielded 16 pounds, or at the rate 
of 645,3:1 bushels per acre. Vines dead Aug. 24. Plaut 
ed May 7. Best live weighed three pounds live ounees- 
Sliajiely fora potato so large, chunky: often broader 
at stem end or wedge shape, sometimes flattened. 
Eyes medium, skin huff. Whole number 52, 37 mark 
stable. Eaten Nov. 20. Flesh nearly white. It Is a 
good potato but not of the best quality. 
Silver Lake was planted not until May 7 
