JULY 23 
different fields of potatoes this year. In one 
case, 1,000 pounds to the acre of potato man¬ 
ure. were used in the drill. The soil is very 
poor. No other manure was vised. The plants 
came slowly aud feebly. After once starting, 
however, those that did come have made a 
rapid growth and are green and healthy. 
On digging down into the vacant place It is 
found that, the seed pieces were apparently 
eaten up by the fertilizer. Wherever the 
work of covering the fertilizer was imper¬ 
fectly done, the seed-pieces have either failed 
to sprout or have sent up very feeble plants. 
With two-thirds of the fertilizer spread 
broadcast, and harrowed in, and the other 
third put in the drill, the plants came earlier 
and ax - e now stronger than the others. Many 
market gardeners in Northern New Jersey 
work on rented land. They use mostly N. 
Y. stable manure, and commercial fertiliz¬ 
ers. They have little thought for the condition 
of the land after their cropping. The aim is 
to get as much of the manure as possible into 
the current season’s crop. Heretofore this 
manure has been put as close to the plant as 
possible, but this year the system of broad¬ 
casting the greater part of the manure has 
gamed many adhereuts. 
Farmers are generally satisfied that man¬ 
ure is a help against drought. We may con¬ 
fidently expect a drought of more or less 
severity every summer. The aim is to push 
the plant to its fullest work during thegrow- 
ing season, A healthy, powerful plant is in 
far better condition to withstand drought 
than one that is weak and half grown. Strong 
and quick manures, then, that push the plant 
along through the spring or early summer are 
desired. At the present, time the effects of va¬ 
rious fertilizers are plainly written over our 
farm. In a field of sweet corn we notice that 
five rows are at least two inches taller than the 
rest of the field. The whole field was planted 
on the same day. The manure used on the 
five rows was originally the same as that used 
on the rest of the field, but was treated dif¬ 
ferently. It was bought at an auction last 
winter. The last two loads were dumped by 
the side of an old strawberry bed, the sod of 
which was thrown into the pile. The dish¬ 
water aud chamber slops were thrown over 
the pile from day to day, and the whole mass 
worked over with the fork twice during the 
winter. This manure, put on the first five 
rows, gave the resultjireviously described. 
A number of good farmers in Morris Coun¬ 
ty, N. J., have discovered that there is as much 
money in the hay crop as in any the} - can 
raise. In the milk business there was a living 
but no profit, and the living gets poorer from 
year to year. Good Timothy hay sells in Or¬ 
ange and Newark at a price that renders 2)4 
tons per acre profitable enough. The basis of 
this industry is manure. The meadows are 
manured as carefully as any cultivated field 
could be. Sheep are bought aud fattened 
through the winter on grain and oil meal and 
rough fodder which could not be sold to ad¬ 
vantage. The mauure made in this way is 
spread on the meadows and root fields, and 
the hay and i'at sheep are sold. 
HAYING NOTES. 
We are now in the midst of haying and hay 
must be got in very rapidly or it will get over¬ 
ripe, aud us about all the fanners in this coun¬ 
ty send milk to New York market, they 
want, their hay cut green. Large barns have 
become a necessity, w hich require horse hay¬ 
forks and carriers to till them. Here, where 
the fanners cut all kinds of hay, short, and 
fine, and long and course, the various makes 
of harpoons do not fill the bill, but a general- 
purpose fork is used. The “Gardner” fork 
is a grapple, aud has immence capabilities. 
Here in Orange County there are 1,000 farm¬ 
ers who use this make. 
And speaking of buy-forks, I am reminded 
of the Sherwood Novelty Harness. I use a 
set to unload hay. They are a grand thing 
for this purpose. A child can drive a steady 
team with no trouble, as there are no whiille- 
tries in the way—just u hook on the rope is all 
that is needed. _ 
It makes my bones uebe to see two men, or, 
more likely, a small boy and a ruuu, grinding 
a scythe or mowing-machine knife on a little 
grind-stone, 13, 15 or 18 inches in diameter. 
It is hard work, and valuable time is thrown 
away. Throw that stone away and get a new 
one that weighs from 110 to 135 pounds, 1 % to 
not more than two inches thick. You don’t 
want a thick stone. Have a foot-treudlo on 
it; you don’t want any handle. Suspend over 
it an old tin can or pail with a small hole in it 
for water to drop, aud you will be surprised 
how easy a job grinding is. Time is valuable 
in the hay field and 1 don’t cure to waste it 
over the grind-stone. 
I have, for years, made my own machine 
oil; I have used the same machine for 13 years, 
TH1 RURAL REW-YCRKER 
and the boxes are but little worn, which is 
evidence that the oil must be good, and I have 
read of so much complaint of poor lubricants 
sold to the farmers that I prefer this. I buy 
heavy crude castor oil,and take equal parts of 
castor oil, hog’s lard, and kerosene, melt the 
lard and pour all together. To fill your oil 
can without spilliug or wasting oil, use a half- 
pound baking powder or other can; with the 
fingers pinch a ^-shaped spout to it aud you 
have a neat little convenience. The Rural 
illustrated this last year. m. n. c. o. 
Johnson’s, N. Y. 
farm Copies. 
FEEDING SUBSTANCES AND FEEDING 
RATIONS.—NO. II. 
HENRY STEWART. 
A COW MILKING HERSELF TO HEATH— 
RATIONS FOR WORKING OXEN. 
A member of the Hornellsville (N. Y.) 
Fanners’ Club recently made the remark that 
“acow fed on beets aloue would milk herself 
to death.” This statement, which is quite 
true, embodies in it the whole theory and 
practice of feeding animals. A cow in a 
milking condition, is undent sort of physical 
necessity, produced by her natural proclivity 
to produce milk, of furnishing a certain 
amount of various substances from her sys¬ 
tem to make up this milk. If she yields 25 
pounds of milk daily, she will require the 
following materials to make it tip, for this 
milk contains precisely these substances, viz.: 
0,8 pound of albuminoids, 
1.25 pound of carbohydrates, 
1.125 pound of fat, 
0.085 pound of mineral substances. 
But the cow must live aud move, and per¬ 
form all the other functions of her existence, 
besides giving milk, and for these necessary 
purposes she must be supplied with the follow¬ 
ing materials, viz.: 
0.7 pound of albuminoids, 
8.0 pounds of carbohydrates, 
0.15 pound of fat, 
with some little mineral matter which is of no 
importance, but it is represented in prin¬ 
ciple by the other substances mentioned. 
These materials are contained in 20 pounds of 
the best hay in which there are: 
pounds of dry substance, 
2>4 pounds of water. 
Then, 20 pounds of the best hay are sufficient 
to keep a cow of 1,000 pounds’ weight alive 
and in good condition; but it furnishes 
nothing of which the animal can make milk 
or increase in weight. It has been found, in 
the same way, that 30 pounds of the best hay 
contain 24 pounds of dry substance consisting 
of: 
2.4 pounds of albuminoids, 
12.0 pounds of carbohydrates, 
0.4 pounds of fat. 
15.13 pounds of digestible nutriment. 
The quantity of materials previously men¬ 
tioned as required for the support of a cow 
and the production of 25 pounds of milk, is 
considerably less than this, amounting to: 
1.5 pound of albuminoids, 
9.25 pounds of carbohydrates, 
1.27 pound of fat. 
But fat is a carbohydrate as well as starch, 
sugar aud gum. It is, however, wholly digest¬ 
ible ami passes at once, as it is worked up 
Into an emulsion in the Intestines, into the 
blood, and is either consumed in the lungs, 
deposited as fat in the tissues, or worked up 
into butter. Hence it. is 2]u times more nu¬ 
tritious thau the other carbohydrates, and 
thus the excess of fat very nearly makes up 
for the deficiency of these. Moreover, in 
practice there is a waste which is not ac¬ 
counted for, possibly due to muscular action 
of the digestive organs, which calls for an 
excess of albuminoids or muscle-forming mat¬ 
ter, aud this demand of the animal will easily 
take up the one pound of albuminoids of the 
food, which is in excess of the cow’s require- 
Albumi¬ 
Carbo¬ 
noids. 
hydrates. 
Fat. 
...1.80 
5.1 1 
0.81 
... .40 
1.94 
1.12 
... .50 
3.60 
0.28 
,.,. 2.50 
11.18 
1.71 
nents for maintenance and milk. Now, if 
nstead of giving the cow 30 pounds of bay. or 
ts equivalent of other food, which is repre¬ 
sented very closely by the following: 
i pwutiua u» ... 
J pounds of corn meal.... 
ve give but GO pounds of beets, which eon- 
ain only 
0.G6 pound of albuminoids, 
6.00 pounds of carbohydrates, 
.06 pound of fat, 
he cow would not have sullicient food to 
naintain herself, much less give any milk; 
here would be a deficiency of all three of 
hese materials, aud the consequence would be 
that the cow being forced, by her natural con¬ 
dition of maternity, to make milk first to sup¬ 
port her offspring would still go on milking at 
the expense of the llosh and fat of her body 
ami would, consequently, rapidly become poor 
and weak, and some cows would go on in this 
way, giving some milk, but losing flesh more 
and more, until they finally laid down and 
died. 
Work is another demand made upon our 
domesticated animals, and it is in effect a 
waste of animal substance—of flesh and fat. 
A working ox weighing 1,000 pounds requires 
a little more food than a cow of the same 
weight giving 25 pounds of milk daily. It 
has lieen foil ml that Ml)., pounds of the best 
hay, which contain 25 pounds of dry matter 
and have 
2.7 pounds of albuminoids, 
14.8 pounds of carbohydrate, 
0.6 pound of fat, 
will keep an OX of the weight mentioned and 
a larger one, if the feed is increased in propor¬ 
tion, in good condition, while doing regular 
farm work. Deducting the quantity suffi¬ 
cient to keep the animal iu good condition, 
we find that the work causes a waste of the 
animal’s flesh and fat equal to or calling for 
a consumption for its repair of food containing 
2. pounds of albuminoids, 
6.8 pounds of carbohydrates, 
0.42 pound of fat. 
The next consideration will he the growth of 
young animals and how they make flesh and 
fat aud hone, for there is no difference iu the 
effect of food in the building up of a young 
animal to maturity and the repairing of the 
waste of a working animal or a milking cow 
of mature age. 
- ' -»■»«.- 
The Nurserymen's Methods of propa¬ 
gating small fruits without regard to the ped¬ 
igree of the parent plants is scandalous and 
the cause of deterioration of varieties. Men 
can better afford to pay $50 per 1,000 for a 
good strain of raspberries tlian $10 per 1,000 
for the ordinary nurserymen’s stock. Princi¬ 
ples of breeding are utterly ignored by nur¬ 
serymen in the strife for cheapness. 
Grand Rapids, Mich, G. d. 
Seeds.—I f all seeds could be grown on poor 
land there would be better satisfaction among 
purchasers. No seed should be plauted on 
land poorer than that upon which it was 
grown, 1 have tried this until I know it is so. 
Charles Co., Md. H - s. 
tHraijarir. 
A FEW FACTS ABOUT GRAPE HAND¬ 
LING AND MARKETING. 
FROM GEORGE C. SNOW. 
Picking is usually done by men, but can 
be done by women if so desired. The qualities 
required in a picker are, a thorough knowl¬ 
edge of the condition of the fruit—whether it 
is thoroughly ripened—and great care iu 
handling. 
It seldom happens that all the fruit can be 
taken off at, one time. This applies more to 
some varieties thau to others. Usually euough 
fruit is kept on hand in the cellar for two or 
three days’ packing for the purpose of curing 
aud to guard against having to stop packing 
owing to unfavorable weather for picking; 
dry weather must lie chosen for picking if 
possible. 
The fruit when taken from the vine is placed 
in picking t.ra>s or boxes made 24 inches 
long by eight inches deep aud 12 inches wide, 
holding 85 to 40 pouuds,nud these are token to 
cellar or packing room on wagons arranged 
for the purpose. The prices per day paid 
here are |1.25 for picking, though the best 
pickers are the regularly employed men who 
have been with the vines from the beginning 
of spring. 
Packing aud trimming are done by women. 
The packing room iB light, clean aud well 
ventilated, uud is kept at as cool a tempera¬ 
ture us practicable while it is comfortable t.o 
work iiL The more comfortable it cuu be for 
the hands the better. Every grape that ts 
imperfect, from whatever cause, must be 
removed. T he clusters must not be mutilated 
any more than positively necessary; neither 
must the bloom be brushed off. Good hands 
must be employed to meet these requisites. 
Each trimmer has a little stand made espe¬ 
cially for the work, a chair, a pair of trim¬ 
ming scissors with long, slim points, aud a pan 
for refuse grapes. Four hands to trim, one to 
pack, and a man for the lifting, covering und 
marking baskets, etc., make the usual number 
economically employed in a guug. 'Ibe con¬ 
dition and variety of fruit will change these 
estimates. Five uud 10-pound baskets with 
tight covers are universally used for pack¬ 
ages. 
Good judgment and experience on the 
port of the packers will largely determine the 
condition of the fruit when opened. Seventy 
five cents for trimmers and $1 for packers are 
the usual wages per day. 
Many grapes are shipped by express when 
the distance und expense are not too great. 
By far the larger part, however, arc shipped 
by freight, the roads giving refrigerators or 
well ventilated cars and quick time. Our 
markets are found iu the larger cities East 
aud West, nml the wine companies. Inferior 
grapes are cither thrown away, or the juice is 
used for wine, brandy or vinegar. The wine 
sellers use large quantities of t he best grapes. 
Unripe or decayed grapes must not be classed 
with grapes not fit for shipping, as certain 
conditions of the weather will cause a large 
loss in good shipping fruit which will iu no 
wise injure it for wine purposes. The variety 
has much to do with keeping qualities. Cat¬ 
awba in a good, common cellnr can be kept 
for months with little loss, if properly venti¬ 
lated and with proper humidity,with a temper¬ 
ature which can bo obtained without ice. Del¬ 
awares are short-lived or too delicate to keep 
long. Concords can lie used to holiday time. 
Catawbas, Delawares and Concords are the 
varieties most in demand. The Niagara for a 
white grape, though comparatively new, is 
without doubt a valuable variety and isbeiug 
extensively planted. 
Penn Yan, N. Y. 
FROM A. B. DILLE. 
I employ negro women to pick aud pack my 
grapes at 25 to 50 cents per day, and I han¬ 
dle all the fruit in five aud 10-pound baskets. 
I get from 75 cents t.o $1 50 per basket for 10- 
pound baskets, averaging 10 cents per pound 
net. Tho Northwest is the best market. 
1 ship all that are salable and the good grapes 
that, drop off 1 make into wine, while the in¬ 
ferior grapes are converted into vinegar. This 
is retailed here at from 25 to 50 cents per gal¬ 
lon und wholesaled at 25 to 30 cents per gal¬ 
lon. I have kept grapes from four to six 
weeks iu baskets in a dry house. For keep¬ 
ing grapes a long time we make a cold stor¬ 
age like an icc-bouse in the North. In such a 
place one can keep grapes three or four 
months. Tho best grapes for the South are 
Brighton, Concord, Delaware, Moore’s Early, 
Norton’s Virginia, Niagara ami Ives, 
Grape-vines should be plauted eight and 10 
feet apart in a row. For slower-growing 
kinds, like the Delaware, six by ten feet are 
better. The slow-growing kinds should be 
plauted on the rich soil and huve liberal 
dressings of manure. In planting make holes 
one foot across and eight to 10 inches deep. 
Stir the soil frequently during the summer 
and keep it free from weeds. I had 20 
years’ experience iu grape culture iu North¬ 
ern Ohio and I have had 10 years in Missis¬ 
sippi. I find that the natural advantages of 
this soil and climate are better than those of 
Ohio. We get the fruit in the market from 
30 to 40 days earlier than the grapes of the 
North, aud get from 50 to 100 percent, more 
for them. 
Starkville, Miss. 
FROM B, WHEATON CLARK. 
We mostly employ women for picking 
grapes at 75 cents per day. We pack the 
common varieties, such as Concords, 
Hartfords and Perkins, into 10-pound 
baskets us they are picked. The fancy 
varieties, such as Niagara, Delaware, Rogers, 
etc., wo pick and let stand one day to wilt, 
then pack over into live, eight and 10-pound 
baskets. Wo use the same kind of help In 
packing, although we pay good packers some¬ 
times a dollar a day. Wo market our com¬ 
mon sorts—Concord, Hartford, etc. iu Buf¬ 
falo. The fancy varieties in small packages 
we ship to Boston, New York and Philadelphia, 
as well as to Buffalo, mostly by express. Wo 
do not have any cull or inferior grapes; they 
are disposed of by summer pruning. We keep 
grapes iu good condition in a cool, dry cellar, 
until along into January. 1 kept Agawam 
(Rogers No. 15) this season until May 1. For 
cheap, cold storage 1 should make a cellar iu 
the north side of a sandy knoll. It should bo 
deep, easily vent Liu led and so made as to bo 
tightly closed, frost aud heat proof, keeping 
the temperature as near 35 degrees as possible. 
All the common hardy varieties do well with 
us, particularly the Niagara, Martha, Hart¬ 
ford, Concord and Perkins, anil with a little 
extra care the Rogers Nos. 4 and 15 do well. 
Loekport, N. Y. 
FROM CHARLES W. GARFIELD. 
Grape picking here is almost entirely done 
by men working at $1 25 per day. I he Iruit 
is packed in baskets holding live, 10 and 20 
pounds, and is handled so as to preserve the 
bloom us far us possible. The baskets are 
covered with tarlotou for near market, aud 
sluts for shipment some distance. Our grapes 
are sold at home and in the smaller towns iu 
the north interior of the State, aud we also 
ship them to Chicago uud Milwaukee. Wo 
