said: “lam now feeding silage that costs me 
not more than 1X cent per day per cow, that 
has a feeding value equal to 20 pounds of good 
hay. A Wisconsin dairyman, with a herd of 
75 cows, is making butter from a ration of 
silage and'bran that costs him but 7% cents 
per day for each cow. I am satisfied that in 
order to compete with Western enterprise, the 
New York dairymen will find the silo a neces¬ 
sity.” Great interest was manifested by the 
farmers in this subject and all seemed to want 
to ask questions at once. 
AFTERNOON SESSION. 
The first thing in order was the opening of 
the question box, when it was found that Mr. 
Gilbert was in great demand to answer the 
questions regarding ensilage. His wooden 
silo, he said, was 15 feet deep and 35 feet long 
and cost $35. It was covered with a foot of 
straw and 18 inches of stone. He said that in 
feeding, the whole surface of the exposed 
silage should be taken off every day. Hon. 
•T. K. Brown, State Dairy Commissioner, said 
he covered his silo with building paper and 
matched flooring and used no weight. He 
thought the two or three inches of wasted 
silage not enough to pay for handling stone to 
cover the silo. 
Hon. J. K. Brown then delivered an address 
on the “adulteration of dairy products: can 
we prohibit it?” He dwelt upon the fact that 
oleomargarine was unwholesome, as had been 
proved by artificial digestion—it took a very 
much longer time to digest than did butter. 
He showed how the oleomargarine laws pro¬ 
tect the consumers fully as much as the farm¬ 
ers. In answer to a question as to whether 
artificial coloring was detrimental, he said 
that so far as they had been able to investigate 
the matter, artificial coloring did not in any 
way make the butter unwholesome. “The 
coloring of butter is understood and expected 
and is not a fraud.” 
“Tobacco culture” was the subject of a 
paper by Hon. S. Q. Hubbard, of Hatfield, 
Mass., President of the New England Tobacco 
Growers’ Association. In answer to questions, 
he said he would not “top” tobacco, but would 
“bud” it; that is, take off the terminal bud as 
soon as formed. Sheds should have tight 
sides, but should be open at the top and bot¬ 
tom. Light, sandy lands would raise lighter- 
colored leaf than heavy lands. He favored 
using lath instead of twine for hanging, as did 
also several other tobacco men present. 
THE EVENING SESSION 
convened at 7:30. Mr. Gilbert spoke of the 
necessity of churning at the right temperature 
in order to get all the butter from the cream. 
It takes a higher temperature to<ehurn cream 
from deep setting than from the old process. 
Prof. Roberts spoke of the value of adding 
water to correct the viscosity of the cream in 
cases where there was difficulty in bringing 
the butter. 
Should manure be kept under shelter till 
applied to the soil? Prof. Roberts: “The 
thing we want to do is to keep it from wast¬ 
ing. A good deal goes off in the atmosphere 
and much goes to the neighbor below every 
time it rains.” According to actual tests 
made at the University Farm, every ton of 
water carries off 60 cents’ worth of plant food 
from a heap of rotting manure. Mr. Wood¬ 
ward: “The best time to draw out manure 
is when it is made.” Prof. Roberts: “You 
can’t always do that, Mr. Woodward ” 
MORNING SESSION, DECEMBER 21. 
The opening of the question box developed 
the fact that the farmers proposed to know all 
that could be learned about the silo question. 
How much grain would you feed with silage? 
Mr. Gilbert: “Eight pounds of bran with 40 
pouudsof silage.” Dr. Colliersaid: “Don’tsow 
ensilage corn: drill it in and not too thick. 
Sunlight is necessary to develop it.” Mr. 
Powell said he was afraid the farmers would 
be led to underrate the value of fodder corn 
to be fed to cows in the summer when the 
grass gave out. He considered it of great 
value. Mr. Gilbert said he spent a week or 10 
days filling a silo. Mr. Powell said that clover 
stood next to corn as an ensilage plant. It 
should be cut rather greener than for hay and 
should not be wet when put into the silo. Mr. 
Gates said that it made no difference whether 
it was wet or not. Clover may be put into 
the same silo with corn. Rye does not make 
good silage. 
Can farmers’ clubs have fertilizers analyzed 
at the Geneva Experiment Station free of 
charge? Dr. Collier answered that they could. 
At the same time he said it would be advisable 
to have all samples sent to the station at stated 
times which times would be announced later 
in the papers. 
“Common Sense in Horse Breeding” was the 
subject of a paper by Mr. James Wood of 
Mount Kisco. He spoke of the horses raised 
in New York being better than those raised 
on the prairies of the West, as they have bet¬ 
ter feet and more endurance. Over 14,000 
die in New York city every year and as many 
more are used up and sent to the country. 
Cars will soon be propelled by electricity, but 
the better class of horses will always be in de¬ 
mand. After speaking at some length upon 
the superior merits of the American trotting 
horse and the good that had resulted from his 
breeding, he tpld the story of the young far¬ 
mer training his promising colt. After spend¬ 
ing $500 or more for sulky, shoeing, care, etc., 
to say nothing about less to the farm and 
moral effects on the boy, the four or five-year- 
old colt would often have to be sold for from 
$150 to $400—nominal price $1,500. Why is it 
that a man, otherwise honest, can’t tell the 
truth about a horse? The demand for trotting 
horses is limited. The raising of coachers is 
attended with some risk; but a good draft 
horse can always be sold for his value. Sound¬ 
ness of feet, levelness of head, rapidity of 
walk are to be preferred m a draft horse, re¬ 
gardless of breed. 
The mare should be as nearly as possible 
what we want the colt to be. The stallion 
should be somewhat closer built than the mare. 
“Short back and long belly” is a good old rule. 
“I prefer fall foals. They may suck the 
mare in the winter and be weaned on grassin 
the spring. Colts should be early taught to 
eat bran and oats and should be fed twice a 
day. Corn meal should never be fed them. 
Keep the colt growing. It takes longer and 
costs more to make up for a pound of loss than 
it does to add five pounds of gain under favor¬ 
able conditions. Groom the colts every day 
with a common stable broom, and thus accus¬ 
tom them to be handled. My colts, natur¬ 
ally high-strung, will stand aud not be alarmed 
if almost anything be banged about their heels, 
Every colt should be broken to the saddle. 
Some time in his life some one will want to 
ride him. Drive in deep snow to secure prop¬ 
er walking gait.” 
Mrs. Emma Taylor spoke eloquently of far¬ 
mers’ homes and how to beautify them. 
Colonel Curtis said he was a pig missionary 
and had been for a long time. He said that 
“early maturity,” as generally spoken of, 
means stuffing the pig till he becomes help¬ 
less, and then killing him before he dies. This 
practice has weakened the hogs of the country 
till they all are an easy prey to all passing 
breezes of disease. He spoke of Professor 
Henry’s experiments in feeding for fat and 
lean, and called attention to the figures given. 
Those fed for lean gained 114 pounds more in 
a given time than those fed for fat, and they 
had 59 per cent, more blood. A hog can be 
made so fat as to have no blood. Is such a 
hog healthy? Is his meat wholesome? After 
the Colonel’s talk Mr. Wood spoke of Virginia 
hams bringing a higher price in the Philadel¬ 
phia market than any other, and said the Vir¬ 
ginia hogs got no corn, but went wild in the 
woods and fattened on acorns. 
AFTERNOON SESSION. 
What is the best remedy for wormy apples? 
Prof. Bailey said there was no remedy, but 
the preventive was to use Paris-green sprayed 
upon the trees. He used Field’s force pump 
which is worked by the hiud wheel of a 
wagon. He said the “Boss” nozzle which 
goes with the pump is worthless. He put his 
thumb over the end of the hose to make the 
spray. He used about half a pound of Paris- 
green to a kerosene barrel of water. He liked 
London-purple when it could be found pure; 
but it is often adulterated. 
Some discussion followed as to the value of 
salt as a fertilizer. The balance of evidence 
seemed to show that salt is beneficial to wheat, 
but just why was not clearly shown. Prof. 
Roberts remarked that it had been shown by 
experiment that salt, like plaster, though it 
did not “draw moisture,” helped the plant to 
withstand drought by preventing evaporation. 
Plants treated with salt give off only about 
half the usual amount of moisture. 
Mr. Chas. A. Green: “Every family should 
eat 10 to 12 bushels of strawberries in 
the season. We have them six to eight weeks. 
You must have them m your own garden 
where your own wife and children can pick 
them with the dew on them.” What is the 
best fertilizer for strawberries? Mr. Green: 
“Wood ashes aud bone dust.” Which is the 
most economical food for sheep—corn or oats? 
Mr. Woodward: “Neither is very profitable. 
Both are too costly to feed alone. Oats are 
too high in price and corn is not a perfect 
food. I would add bran or cotton seed meal 
to corn. Beans are good if fed with corn.” If 
all farmers would raise lambs for early mar¬ 
ket would the price be the same? Mr. Wood¬ 
ward: “Certainly not. When that time 
comes I expect to be doing something else 
that all the farmers are not doing.” In re¬ 
sponse to a question, Mr. Woodward said he 
liked the new process oil meal better than the 
old, as it did not act so strongly as a cathar¬ 
tic. 
“Nitrogen, Potash and Phosphoric Acid; 
How to procure them and how to sell them,” 
was the subject treated by Prof. I. P. Roberts, 
of Cornell University. He began by stating 
that the wheat of New York State last year 
averaged 16 7-10 bushels per acre; that the 
entire wheat crop of the country was sold for 
a little over $8 per acre. We do not half 
farm. In England they raise 30 bushels on 
the average. They know how to tickle the 
soil. Nature has given great stores of nitro¬ 
gen, potash and phosphoric acid. It is our 
business to combine them. Culture is the first 
way which suggests itself for getting these 
elements. The Professor then gave the results 
of some experiments on the University farm 
to test the value of culture without manures. 
On one wheat plot which produced 156 pounds 
of wheat the first year, 180 pounds were 
secured the second year, 256 pounds the third 
year. He then spoke of the great quantities 
of plant food (especially nitrogen) that are 
carried down into the subsoil every year, and 
of the value of clover as a means of bringing 
this fertility to the surface. In an experiment 
at the University farm plenty of clover roots 
were found at a depth of 56 inches. The buy¬ 
ing of by-products, such as bran, oil-meal and 
cotton-seed meal, is one means of obtaining 
nitrogen When bran, oil meal and cotton¬ 
seed meal are fed to milch cows 80 per cent, 
of the plant food is returned in the manure. 
He that sells $200 worth of wheat sells $67 
worth of nitrogen. A good horse carries off 
$7 worth of plant food; 100 pounds of butter 
carry off 19 cents’ worth. 
Questioned as to the advisability of practic¬ 
ing summer fallowing, he said: “I would 
never summer fallow unless obliged to do so to 
eradicate weeds that could not be killed other¬ 
wise. Keep something growing: that is Na¬ 
ture’s method.” Dr. Collier: “Good tillage 
without manure is better than manure with 
shiftless tillage.” 
The utmost good feeling prevailed through¬ 
out, and the farmers seemed to feel that the 
meetings were theirs and that they were free 
to ask questions. 
DEVICE FOR WINDING WIRE. 
For taking wire from hop-yards or fences 
I have found the device shownatFig.il 
very cheap and convenient. Take an old 
washtub and a board five or six inches wide; 
nail the board across the tub, letting it pro¬ 
ject three or four inches at each end. Then 
through the center of the bottom of the tub 
and of the board on top bore a one-and-a-half- 
inch hole. Put a pole through the hole for a 
shaft. Also bore a hole about a foot from the 
center and drive in a peg for a crank-handle as 
shown. I used an old well-crank. If it is worked 
in a hop-yard, fasten the shaft to the poles, 
letting it project at the end where the wire is 
to be taken off enough to slip the tub on. If it is 
to be used in taking wire off a fence or where 
there is nothing to which it can be fastened, 
drive two posts in the ground six or seven feet 
apart. Then tie the wire to the end of the 
board and turn the crank, and you will see 
how nicely the wire will coil around the tub. 
The tub must be tapering, of course. 
“ ECONOMIST.” 
FODDER CORN TIE. 
At Fig. 12 is shown a tie which is used here¬ 
abouts for binding fodder corn at shucking 
time. In tying a bundle stand astride of it, 
press with the knee and pull with the band 
till the buckle will slip into the loop. When 
untying give the buckle a half turn and slip 
it out of the loop. If the band is used careful¬ 
ly it can be employed several times. We use 
binder twine for the ties, and we also take 
care of the old ties we get out of the straw 
stack, tying two together, with a loop in one 
end and a buckle in the other, the whole be¬ 
ing of a convenient length for a band. 
Marion Co., Ind. f. c. mcc. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
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and address or the writer to insure attention. Before 
asking a question, please see if It Is not answered in 
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MANURE FROM CROPS RETURNED TO THE SOIL 
ENOUGH. 
A. B. L., Greysville , Ohio .— I have 160 
acres of land, divided into 16 ten-acre fields; 
upon this I raise a rotation of crops, consist¬ 
ing of corn followed by oats and this followed 
by wheat, when it is seeded down. In this 
way I have under cultivation each year 10 
acres of corn, 10 of oats and 10 of wheat. Each 
field is plowed in turn, making a regular rota¬ 
tion. I raise good crops and neither buy nor 
sell any grain, feed or fertilizer. 1 save the 
manure judiciously, hauling what is said to be 
200 loads; but this I doubt. Anyhow, every¬ 
thing raised on the farm goes back to the soil. 
What will be the condition of my farm 25 
years hence, or am I returning as much to the 
soil as I am taking off? 1 would like a 
scientific answer to this and think it would be 
of interest to others as well as us, as there is a 
great question involved. 
ANSWERED BY HENRY STEWART. 
“Out of nothing nothing comes.” So that 
if all crops are fed to farm animals and the 
manure so made is returned to the soil, some¬ 
thing is taken from the soil by which the 
growth of the animals is made up. When 
youDg stock are reared the loss to the soil is 
more than when mature animals are kept, 
the loss consisting of phosphoric acid, lime 
and nitrogen chiefly, of which tne bones and 
flesh are in greater part made up. The car¬ 
bonaceous portion of the food need not * be 
taken into account, as this is largely, if not 
wholly, contributed by the atmosphere. A 
certain portion of the nitrogen is also thus 
contributed, equal to about sufficient to pro¬ 
duce a crop of seven or eight bushels of wheat 
per acre only. But this is something, and 
w’hen full-grown animals are kept for fatten¬ 
ing and all the manure is put on the land, this 
atmospheric contribution will leave a gain. 
If, however, cows are kept for milk, or young 
stock are reared, this atmospheric nitrogen 
will not supply enough for the growth of the 
animals or for the milk produced and there 
will be a consid erable loss. 
But the soil contains a very large amount 
of undeveloped or reserved plant food, which 
is gradually made available by tillage and 
