of stock that are different from ours. For ex¬ 
ample, most Jersey farmers seem to think it 
does not pay to raise horses. Most of our 
horses come from the West or from Canada. 
We get a good many, too, from the cities— 
crippled car-horses or “sore’’ coachers make 
good farm teams after they are doctored up. 
A good many Jersey farms are horse-nurseries 
where more money is made at nursing crip¬ 
pled city horses than could possibly be made 
at raising colts. There is room for extension 
in this business, too. We have few stallions in 
our part of the State. The few we have are 
trotters. Our farmers want a medium-sized 
horse. It would suit their business better to 
have three fair-sized horses than to have two 
big ones. The chunky little Canadian horses 
suit us pretty well. 
All this seems to be different in 
the Chemung Valley, so far as I ob¬ 
served. Breeding horses there is a reg¬ 
ular part of farming, apparently, and 
quite a profitable part, too. A great 
many Percheron stallions are being brought 
into that country. I should say that this is a 
mistake. It appears to me that the country 
is too hilly to suit Percherons. The West is 
the country for these big horses—a flat, corn 
country suits the American type best. I have 
noticed two other things about Percheron 
breeding; one is regarding colors. A black 
horse sells better that a gray. Black Perche¬ 
ron grades are the most profitable, all things 
considered. Another point is that farmers 
are often disappointed in breeding Percherons. 
The stallion is such a fine, noble-looking fel¬ 
low that some farmers expect to take any 
little, old mare to him and get a colt as fine as 
its sire. They are bound to be mistaken, and 
they will fill the country with poor, shapeless 
horses just as long as they do such business. 
If I was going to raise horses in this valley I 
would keep Cleveland Bays, as I believe they 
will pay better than any other breed. 
I saw some fine cattle—a good deal different 
from the cattle we keep. The day has gone 
by when it will pay us to do much at beef¬ 
making. We can buy a few head of young 
stock from the city to eat up the rough fod¬ 
der, but we can’t compete with the Chicago 
dressed beef. Our butchers will have to find 
a new name for their business soon. They 
are only meat-cutters now, and rarely, if ever, 
kill an animal. So we have naturally drifted 
into Jersey and Holstein grades, as we con¬ 
sider butter or milk will pay us best. In my 
immediate neighborhood Jersey grades are 
the most profitable cows the farmer can handle- 
I expected to find more Jerseys than I did in 
the valley. I should think they would go 
with tobacco farming, or in fact with any 
other special crop. The Jersey cow is the 
best animal for the special-purpose farmer, 
whether he raises potatoes, berries, market 
truck or poultry. I found a good many 
Devons. These brisk,red cattle and their grades 
do well on the steep hills. There were a good 
many Herefords and Short-horns; in fact, the 
grade Short-horn is considered about as good a 
dairy cow as can be produced. In spite of all 
the arguments the special-purpose people may 
advance, a good proportion of the farmers I 
met on this trip seem to believe that a two- 
purpose cow—one that will make both beef 
and milk or butter—is the most profitable cow 
for the average farmer. A high grade of one 
of the popular breeds seems to be the ideal- 
Are these men all wrong ? 
The farmers of the Chemung Valley will prob¬ 
ably laugh at our way of making pork. We sel¬ 
dom raise pigs. There may be a dozen boars in 
our county; but I am inclined to doubt it. We 
can buy young pigs of almost any breed or 
age in Jersey City, Patterson or Newark. 
Most farmers buy these pigs more by their 
shape and size than with any reference to 
breed, and judged by this standard,Berkshires 
and Polaud-Chinas, and their grades mostly 
find their way into our pens. These pigs do 
well on the refuse of our market-truck and 
rye and corn-meal slops. From what I saw I 
should judge that the New-Yorkers eat more 
pork than we do. Western beef is so plenty 
that we find it very easy to depend upon it 
and neglect the pork barrel. I think we are 
just as well off. In old times, people used to 
lay in their barrels of salt beef and pork, for 
winter food. Such food saved cash, but I no¬ 
tice they all tell how the whole family had to 
dose upon molasses and sulphur for “ bad 
blood” every spring. 
There is a great difference in sheep-raising 
in Jersey and the Chemung Valley. The 
Jerseyman is a sheep-feeder. It does not pay 
him to raise sheep, and he has found it out. 
In 1880 the census shows that there were in 
the three N. Y. counties of Steuben, Tioga, 
and Chemung, with a combined population of 
153,324, 15,000, more sheep than we had in the 
whole of New Jersey with a population of 
1,131,116. In our county we had 312 sheep 
and about 1,300 licensed dogs. The tendency 
in Southern New York seems to be to change 
from Merinos to mutton sheep. It must be 
said that we buy a good many Western sheep 
and lambs and fatten them for the New York 
markets. Being close to the market, we can 
take advantage of a glut to buy cheap and of 
a scarcity to sell for a good price. 
I might mention other ideas that occurred to 
me during my journey, but this is long 
enough. Doubtless some of you Americans 
will say that I started out to tell about a 
journey and haven’t said much of anything 
about it. However it will be satisfactory, for 
you can console yourselves by saying- 
“ That’s just like a jerseyman.” 
Connecticut Notes, 
Connecticut is the “Yankee” State. While 
the character of the other new England States 
has been materially changed by the importa¬ 
tion of Canadian and European labor, the 
‘Nutmeg State” has largely retained its pro¬ 
vincial character. It is distinctively Ameri¬ 
can. This is but another way of saying that 
diversified farming is still the occupation of a 
large proportion of the people. Of course, 
tobacco and onions are examples of special 
crops, or, as it is called, “intense” farming, but 
these lucrative crops are confined chiefly to the 
bottom lands of the valleys. There has been 
a great improvement in the methods of farm¬ 
ing during the last .few years. All the new 
implements are now used extensively. Special 
attention is given to seeds and fertilizers and 
everything is done to make farming a respect¬ 
able and profitable industry. We hear occa¬ 
sionally of instances where fine farms are sold 
at a ruinous sacrifice. This may be the result 
of a change in local conditions, the misfortune 
or neglect of the owner; or it may indicate a 
decline in the profits of agriculture. It has 
been interpreted in all ways. There are, 
however, many successful and comparatively 
wealthy farmers in the State, and what one 
man has done another man with an equal 
amount of pluck and brains can do. While 
agriculture has not kept pace in the matter of 
profit with the manufactures and arts, yet it 
probably pays as well as it ever did. The de¬ 
pression is only relative. 
The Grange is rapidly becoming the power 
weather, since the middle of August, has 
been dry and hot, and has consequently 
been favorable for the ripening of our 
great corn crop; and we now consider the crop 
in the southern and middle districts past the 
danger line and safe. Our oat crop fell far 
short of our expectations as it was so badly 
damaged by the rains in the latter part of 
July and the first weeks of August. The qual 
ity is poor. Our late potato crop is nearly an 
entire failure; the rust or blight got the best of 
the tubers. Potatoes are advancing in price 
here. The onion crop is good, Late cabbage, 
turnips and grass all need rain badly. Other 
crops are about all made, or have done about 
all they will do anyway. We had a fine week 
for our State fair, and we had the best fair 
Iowa has ever had. Our people came by the 
thousands and came to enjoy themselves, and 
all seemed to do so. The exhibits in all the 
departments were unusually large and good. 
The crowd on Wednesday was estimated at 
60,000. We had our first frost this morning in 
a very light form; nothing injured. 
f. s. w. 
New York. 
Newark, Wayne Co.—Wheat has been har¬ 
vested and thrashed; the yield averages 10 
bushels per acre. Barley, less than the usual 
acreage; yield about 30 bushels. Oats an in¬ 
creased yield and a larger acreage. Many 
farmers sow less wheat and seed down with 
oats. Peppermint oil—the old mint—yield 
about one-fourth as much as last year. New 
is now being distilled; average yield about 
25 pounds per acre. Corn an average crop. 
Potatoes will be a large crop. Nearly all 
fields are looking well, and an examination 
proves that the yield will be better than for 
many years. Onions have one-fourth more 
acreage than ever before, and an average 
yield. Fruit throughout the county is good. 
There will be more than one-half of a full 
crop of apples. Peaches are more plentiful 
than they have been in past five years Niag¬ 
ara grapes, of which there are several vine¬ 
yards here, will give nearly a full crop. 
Prices for farm produce are as follows: 
Wheat, 95 cents to $1; barley, no offer; old 
J.ev&£ erf Pet JYnxut covered Jiorrov 6 feet~ 
A POTATO PIT. Fig. 330. 
for good it was originally intended to be. Its 
object is not only to educate and entertain its 
patrons, but to help them financially. In 
many cases it has successfully prevented the 
extortionate charges of middlemen and has 
reduced the cost of the things the farmer buys 
and increased the proceeds which he has re¬ 
ceived for his produce. On the whole, the 
Grange in Connecticut is doing practical 
work and is a power for good in the commu¬ 
nity. 
Do the tobacco growers want the tax taken 
off tobacco? Some do; others do not. What 
they do want is the breaking up of the present 
red-tape] system of requiring an elaborate 
statement from local manufacturers and other 
things collected with the collection of the tax, 
which prevents small manufacturers from 
going into the business. As it is now ar¬ 
ranged, the grower must sell to the agent of 
the large concerns at their prices, or run the 
risk of not selling at all. The subject of the 
tariff and tax on tobacco is a prominent one 
in all local political discussions. As to the 
tariff on Sumatra and other tobaccos which 
compete with the home product, of course, 
there is but one opinion, and that is that it 
should be increased. But there is quite a 
difference of opinion in regard.to the effect of 
the abolition of the internal revenue tax. The 
general opinion seems to be that the “Tobacco 
Trust,” or combination, is so thoroughly 
organized and that it regulates prices so 
arbitrarily that no change in the tax will 
materially change the price paid the producer. 
The quantity of commercial fertilizers used in 
the State is slowly but surely increasing, and 
it is evident that they will eventually bring 
into profitable cultivation much of the “worn 
out” and unused land of the State. 
RAMBLER. 
Iowa. 
Des Moines,! Polk Co., Sept. 14.—Our 
oats, 50 cents; potatoes not wanted yet; offer 
30 to 35 cents; onions, a few growers have con¬ 
tracted their crops at 45 cents; buyers offer 35 
to 40 cents; peppermint oil, $2.05. w. H. K. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to Insure attention. Before 
asking a question, please see If It is not answered in 
our advertising columns. Ask only a few questions at 
one time. Put questions on a separate piece of paper. 
KEEPING POTATOES. 
W. O. F., Greensburg, Ind .—What is the 
best plan for keeping potatoes over winter, 
especially early potatoes for seed? 
Ans. —On page 803 of the Rural for last 
year will be found an interesting symposium 
from a number of potato growers describing 
the methods employed in various parts of the 
country. In northern sections the commonest 
way is to store the tubers iu cool, well-venti¬ 
lated cellars. Opinions vary as to whether 
the potatoes should be packed in large bins or 
in smaller lots in boxes or barrels, but it 
would seem that most growers store in large 
masses. It pays, as all agree, to shovel or 
handle the seed potatoes over several times 
during the winter. We have often thought 
that potatoes could be stored very success¬ 
fully in sacks, which could be emptied and 
refilled once each month or six weeks during 
the winter. Many of the large growers use 
pits for storing. The pit illustrated at Fig. 
330, is described by W. W. Tracy, of Detroit. 
The potatoes are put into the pit as soon after 
being dug as possible, when they are covered 
with 'straw or corn-stalks for a few days. 
They are then covered with boards and earth 
the ends of the pit being left open. Later 
the ends are closed, and a small amount of 
ventilation is afforded by means of a whisp of 
straw, which 'extends up through the center 
of the covering to the open air. In the illus¬ 
tration, a represents a pole supporting the 
boards: b, six inches of earth; c, eight inches 
of manure; d, six'inches of'earth; e, eight 
inches of manure; f, a straw ventilator, and 
g, a space of eight inches'between potatoes and 
boards. 
FREE CARTILAGE IN JOINT. 
F. A. H., Mentor , Minn .—What ails my 
six-year-old horse and what should be the 
treatment? At times he loses control of one or 
the other of his hind legs. It appears quite 
stiff from the hip to the hoof. He can move 
his body backward and foreward, and after 
moving very far forward the affected leg 
seems to twitch and becomes all right. I can 
use him in the field or on the road. He shows 
no defect in either case. He has a habit of 
standing on one of the hind legs with the 
other hip sunken. He always rests his weight 
on the stiff leg. He doesn’t appear to be in 
much pain, and his appetite is good. He 
stands with his foot well forward and rests a 
good deal on the back of the foot. 
ANSWERED BY DR, F. L. KILBORNE. 
I cannot say positively from your descrip¬ 
tion where the trouble is, but from the history 
and symptoms, I suspect you have a case of 
free cartilage in the joint, by which small, 
detached, or free pieces of cartilage floating 
in the joint occasionally work in between the 
ends of the bones, causing excessive lameness, 
or stiffness of the limb until the piece of car¬ 
tilage can work out. Whenever attacked in 
this way, move the limb about to work the 
cartilage out of place. If the horse is fre¬ 
quently troubled, take him to a competent 
veterinary surgeon for personal examiua 
tion, as a delicate surgical operation may be 
necessary. 
SEED WARTS ON A COW’S TEATS. 
A. C., Como, Mont. T .—I have a two-year-old 
heifer with teats so warty that I have been 
obliged to stop milking her, and turn the calf 
out with her, and now I have to watch her and 
make her stand up for the calf to suck. She 
is a good milker, and I do not want her to dry 
up. The warts are from one-eighth to three- 
eighths of an inch in diameter, and about one 
eighth to one-fourth inch on the teats they 
divide into a number of small spines or prickles 
very hard, making the teats look not unlike a 
diminutive porcupine. What will remove 
them? 
Ans. Apply nitro-muriatic acid to the 
warts, every other day. Hold the teats so that 
you can apply the acid drop by drop, a nd rub 
in, using the bruised end of a soft stick, the 
size of a-’ pencil. Be careful not to get the 
acid on other portions of the teats or udder, 
or to apply enough to the warts so that it will 
run off. Before applying the treatment, it 
would be well to wean the calf and milk the 
heifer by hand, (always applying the acid just 
after milking, and not before,) or preferably 
wait until she is dry. 
Miscellaneous. 
A. G. R„ New Monmouth , N. J. —Where 
can I procure Nubian or Egyptian goats ? 
Ans. —We do not know. Can any reader 
tell? 
J. D. P„ r t (No address). —You can get Lan- 
dreth wheat of very fine qualityjof Thorburn 
& Co., 15 John street, New York. J. A. 
Foote, Crawfordsville, Ind., sells Fulcaster. 
J. H. P. —How canjcocks and hens be dis¬ 
tinguished among Guinea fowls ? 
Ans. —The f sexes in Guinea fowls are very 
nearly alike in size and color. The wattles of 
the males are generally a little larger than 
those of the'females, and they are a little dif¬ 
ferently shaped. The .hens alone cry “ Come 
back,” 11 Come back.” ^.The males also arch 
their backs and run on]tiptoe]'inAmorous sea¬ 
sons. 
F. D. Trenton, N. J. —Is the preservation 
of fodder by ensilage on the increase in the 
seaboard States ?_^Isn’t the .cost, of the work 
and of .the crop reduced.'year after year ? Am 
I right in this opinion]? 
Ans. —From the. best] information we caD 
obtain we should ]say that you are. When 
public attention was first called.to ensilage a 
