©ST 2,0 
THE BUBAL WEW-YOBICIB. 
very nearly to zero. In January with less than 
a foot of snow on the ground, it went down to 
40© below zero and probably lower as I played 
marbles with the frozen mercury. From Jan¬ 
uary 20th to March 1st we had warm weather; 
then it went down to eight below zero for two 
days. Again, as the trees were coming into 
leaf. May 1st, we had two or three heavy 
frosts, crisping the tender leaves and foliage.” 
Yet under these trying circumstances which 
seriously injured the Duchess, Whitney no 20, 
and the Crabs, he reports the following Rus¬ 
sian apples in good condition,viz.,Tiesenbansen 
(190), Ostrokoff (4m), Zars Thorn (206), Blush¬ 
ed Calville (22m) Boroonica (245), Hibernal 
(240), Cross (15m), Lead (8m), and Pointed 
Pipka (861). Of plums, he reports the De Soto, 
Wolf, Rollingstone, Wy ant,and Speer in good 
condition, and in addition all of the Russian 
plums on trial. Russian cherries he says came 
through well but some of the points were in¬ 
jured. Ru sian pears he says are all right, 
but not making much growth. Some of the 
Russian fruits endure the mountain climate 
better than even the Siberian Crabs as their 
native climate is one of greater extremes of 
heat, cold, and moisture of air, and variations 
of moisture and temperature of the soil, than 
is the home of the crabs in Siberia. In a 
general way I consider the tight board fence 
on the mountain-side of the fruit lot a disad¬ 
vantage, as it favors starting the sap in trees 
and plants during warm spells in winter and 
spring, and increases the liability to injury of 
fruit blossoms by frost. The Crescent seedling 
strawberry, fertilized by Downer’s Prolific, 
will do as well as any variety at that eleva¬ 
tion. Cover lightly in winter and never al¬ 
low the plants to go into winter with the roots 
in very dry soil. If the Autumn is dry, 
water heavily about four weeks before winter 
set® in. Of raspberries the Tyler and Shafer’s 
Colossal should do well with light earth cover¬ 
ing of canes in winter. Any of the fruits 
grown at Como, Montana, should do still better 
at Meeteetse. 
D. E. S ., So. Apalachin, N. Y. —What is 
the value of the so-called “ corn starch meal” 
or corn meal after the starch has been taken 
out,for feediuglpurposes and what is it worth 
per ton? 
ANSWERED BY DR. E. H. JENKINS. 
Fresh and wet “corn starch meal” has the 
average composition given below. For com¬ 
parison the composition of brewers’ grains is 
also, given. 
Corn Starch Meal. Brewers’ grains, 
Water.65.7 75.6 
Albuminoids. ...5.7 5.6 
Fat....3.0 1.7 
Nitrogen-free extract,22.2 12.2 
Fiber.3.2 3.9 
Ash. 2 1.0 
It is rather dryer than brewers’ grains, has 
about the per cent, of albuminoids, but nearly 
twice as much fat. When fed fresh and in 
proper quantity the starch meal is believed 
to be a perfectly harmless and nutricious food; 
I am told by a dairyman who used it some 
times alternately with brewers’ grains that 
he does not feel it quite as freely as brewers’ 
grains and that it does not “ make as much 
milk” as an equal quantity of brewers’ grains. 
It is impossible to say what such a feed is 
“ worth per ton.” 
W. H. Great Barrington Mass. —What 
can your readers tell me about the Red Rus¬ 
set apple ? Ellwanger and Barry in their 
catalogue speak of it very highly ; so did the 
late Chas. Downing. But it is not included 
in the catalogue of the American Pomological 
Society. As it is a New Hampshire apple, 
perhaps Dr. Hoskins, or some other New 
Eugland orchardist can give information 
about it. Would they recommend the plant¬ 
ing of it largely in Western Massachusetts in 
place of the Baldwin? 
ANSWERED BY DR. T. H. HOSKINS. 
The Red Russet is a very fine apple, much 
resembling the Baldwin in appearance (hav¬ 
ing but little russet), with a more vigorous 
and equally productive tree. It is grown 
quite extensively in southwestern Maine, 
where it is found to be very profitable- It is 
highly commended by Mr. Gilbert, secretary 
of the Maine Board of Agriculture, and editor 
of the Maine Farmer. Mr. Gilbert is a prac¬ 
tical orchardist of much experience and ex¬ 
cellent judgment. 
Miccellaneons. 
H. <S., Academy W. Va. —You can get 
dairy thermometers from Cornish, Curtis & 
Green of Fort Atkinson Wis. 
DISCUSSION. 
MORE MYSTERY ABOUT POTATOES. 
C. H. E , Avoca N. Y.—Oil page 645 J. W. 
I. tells some of the mysterious things about 
pptato raising. I live in a section where po¬ 
tatoes are the main crop. I cannot agree 
with the writer in many respects He says 
“ the truth seems to be that they are not al¬ 
ways governed by fixed habits and natural 
laws of growth, but sometimes do well under 
certain conditions of weather and treatment 
and again do poorly under apparently the 
same conditions and treatment.” We will 
say that a man plants a lot, part of which is 
poorer than the rest. The treatment is the 
same on the' whole lot. Those on the best 
ground start the best and bid fair to out- 
yield the others, but after a while it is dry, 
unfavorable weather. Those on the best 
ground keep on growing and mature a crop 
before favorable weather comes while 
those on the poorer ground are retarded 
from the beginning by the poorer soil 
or conditions and when the favorable 
weather comes they have their growth to 
make and they will seem to improve every 
moment while those on the best ground 
have made all the growth they will and are 
past help. The result will be that the poorest 
soil will briDg the best crop, which would 
have been the reverse if the weather had been 
favorable all through the season. Some 
farmers will say that the condition and treat¬ 
ment are the same without taking into 
con'sideration the influence of the weather. 
I think this is the secret of the success of the 
Rural, Trench System. Unfavorable weather 
cannot affect the plants as much as in ordin¬ 
ary planting. I could show many fields here 
to prove the correctness of my theory, as the 
weather with us has been such as I have 
described and the latest plantings, and those 
which started poorly are the best. My the¬ 
ory with regard to the potato blight is about 
the same as that of J. W.I. I have noticed that 
it always strikes first where the dew or rain 
is not blown off and the sun burns the 
tops. I never saw a case of blight on top 
of a hill, but always on the side where the dew 
or rain stayed on the plants until evaporated 
by the sun. Another cause of blight occurs 
when the starch does not form fast enough. 
If the potatoes grow very rapidly they are 
more subject to blight. A piece on moist ground 
such as would grow well in dry seasons will be 
quite apt to blight, if a dry spell is succeeded 
by warm showeis or heavy dews without 
much wind to blow the water away from the 
vines. I am inclined to attribute J. W. I.’s 
case of large vines and small potatoes to the 
time that they were planted, rather than to the 
richness of the soil. To get the growth above 
ground, plant when the moon shines during 
the night, but for potato growth, plant when 
there is no moon. I suppose this theory does 
not agree with that held by the R. N.-Y., but 
I think the light of the moon has as much to 
do with the growth of plants as the sun has. 
As the plant is started, so will it grow, if noth¬ 
ing befall it. If it is started for tops, tops it 
must be. 
R. N. Y.—Our readers know what we think 
about the influence of the moon’s light, on the 
growth of vegetation. The above article states 
the arguments usually given by the farmers 
who believe in it. In our experiments we nev¬ 
er have been able to discover any difference 
one way or another. 
MORE ABOUT INCUBATING THERMOMETERS. 
Giuseppe Tagliabue, New York.— Since 
making a communication to you some time 
ago, referring to the importance of employing 
only accurate thermometers in artificial incu. 
bating, I have been informed by several of 
your subscribers that it is very important 
that a corresponding degree of moisture be 
maintained in the incubator to that which 
proceeds from the body of the sitting hen. 
One of these persons indicated to me, that 
when he first commenced artificial incub¬ 
ating as an amateur, he discarded a number 
of eggs as worthless. These were placed in a 
situation where they received moisture from 
falling rain, and to his surprise many of these 
eggs were afterwards found to have been 
broken by the chick which had been incu¬ 
bated, but had not the requisite strength to 
break the inner coating of the shell, which 
bad become quite tough and hard from ex¬ 
posure to a dry atmosphere. The subsequent 
moisture having softened this internal coat¬ 
ing, the little prisoner was enabled to liberate 
itself. I suggested the employment in incu¬ 
bating of a small and inexpensive instrument 
called the hygrometer, by means of which an 
atmosphere corresponding in humidity to that 
produced by the body of the sitting hen could 
be maintained, and at his request I furnished 
him with a suitable instrument. The results 
proved very satisfactory. 
MORE ABOUT MULCHING WHEAT. 
S. B. II., Crawfordsville, Ind.—The 
Rural some weeks ago gave an account of 
some mulch experiments on wheat with straw. 
Last year I mulched about eight acres very 
heavily with some straw that I bought from an 
out going tenant. The wheat was good with¬ 
in the limits of the timber-shelter, but beyond 
that it was no better under the mulch than 
elsewhere beyond the limits of timber shelter. 
Several years ago I mulched some wheat, 
and a neighbor made the remark to me after 
harvest, “I thought you ruined your wheat 
with that straw, but it was the making of it.’' 
But no matter what the apparent effects on 
the crop that the mulch is applied to may be, 
whether it is perceptible or imperceptible, 
I should always prefer to haul out straw, as 
a mulch rather than burn it, for the good 
effects it would have on other crops when it 
is thoroughly incorporated with the soil by 
plowing. 
EAST INDIA SWINE. 
F. D. C., Charlton, N. Y.—I notice the 
mention in the Rural, of hogs found in Louis¬ 
iana with a single hoof, that is, with no cleft 
or double foot. There is such a distinct breed in 
the East Indies, and I have seen some imported 
specimens. The ones alluded to, no doubt have 
descended from stock brought from the far 
East. The East India hog is fine in the bone 
and easily fattened. They have little hair, 
look queer, but are said to make fine meat. 
They are not large, but are rather fine and 
delicate in appearance. 
W. B. P., Marion Co., Ind.— The plant is 
Euphorbia Hypericifolia—Hypericum-leaved 
Euphorbia, Large Spotted Spurge. Very 
common in dry soils, especially those that are 
sandy. It is best kept down by improving 
the soil and cultivation. Some think this 
weed the cause of salivation with which 
horses are often affected the latter part of the 
season. 
W. B. P., Indianapolis, Ind.— We have a 
verbena plant that has spread over an almost 
perfect circle, the diameter of which is over 
five feet. It has had for months over’ 100 
blossoms nearly all the time—blossoms white 
and large—How’s that? 
R. N.-Y.—That’s fine. 
J. P. K., Wakefield, Kans.—T he grass is 
Tricuspis Seslerioides, False Red Top. It is 
liked by cattle when young, but not relished 
by them when it is harsh and wiry. It is not 
very nutritious butjwhere it naturally abounds 
it is worth cutting and curing for feeding stock 
in conjunction with more nutritious foods 
C. A. U., Falls Church, Va —Why do 
you" not tell A. C., Como, Mon tana,'who asks 
(page 647) for a cure for warts on a cows teats 
to “grease ’em? This is a simple but infallible 
remedy. Try it. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
LONG ISLAND NOTES. 
Corn is nearly all cut and stacked. The 
crop is about an average^one. It has stood up 
well and has been harvested in fine condition. 
The acreage devoted to cabbage, has been 
largely increased during the past decade. It 
is a good crop this year and promises to be 
very 'profitable. 
Although many of A. T. Stewart’s plans 
concerning the redemption and cultivation of 
the Hempstead Plains at Garden City have 
not been carried out, yet portions of the plains 
are cultivated and seem to produce good crops. 
The Queens County fair held at Mineola 
from the 25th to the 28th of Sept, was a 
great success financially. The attendance 
especially on Thursday (the middle day; was 
larger than ever before. The chief fault of 
this fair is the great attention which is given 
to horse racing to the neglect of agricultural 
exhibits. 
Queens and East Hinsdale are becoming noted 
the world over for the beauty of its flowers 
and the excellence of its flower seeds. At this 
season the grounds of Messrs G. Lewis Childs 
and Halloek’s Sons are covered with the most 
beautiful flowers; raised chiefly for seed. 
The horses used on the west end of the 
Island are usually bought in the city; many 
of them are broken-down car and truck horses. 
It is a question whether it pays to bother with 
low-priced broken-down city horses. For 
every horse that is brought into good condi¬ 
tion two become worthless and finally die. 
Few farmers can afford to waste time on old 
broken-down horses. 
The practice of baling manure seems to be 
growing in favor. It is very much easier to 
handle and reduces the cost of freight very 
materially. It seems to retain nearly all of 
its manurial value, the chief loss being in 
moisture. 
The Long Island R. R. charges on an aver¬ 
age 35 cents per barrel for cauliflower by 
freight, and 50 cents per barrel by express to 
New York City. As a rule this makes the 
carriage cost one quarter of the retail price 
of the cauliflower. The labor required to 
transport it to the city is probably not over 
one-tenth of that which makes its retail value 
and yet the Railroad Co. gets one-quarter, 
the Commission merchant another quarter, 
leaving for the raiser, who does at least 
eight-tenths, of the labor required to put it 
into the home of the consumer, not over one- 
half of its retail price. No wbnder'thaUthe 
farmers of Suffolk County’ appreciate the 
cartoon in a recent number of the Rural. 
It seems that a flea very much like the flea 
beetle if it is not the same thing, has injured 
the potatoes on the east end of the Island for 
several years. It also attacks the cauliflower. 
Tobacco dust has been used to destroy it. 
The Early Ohio potato does not seem to do 
well, except on soil naturally fertile. Efforts 
to force it on ordinary soil have only resulted 
in growing tops without the potatoes. With 
very rich soil and some of the special potato 
manures the Early Ohio is considered the 
earliest and best market potato. 
The Early Rcse which seemed in a fair way 
to run out has been given a new lease of life 
by the introduction of seed from Maine. 
With northern grown seed it is one of the 
best of our early potatoes. There is some¬ 
thing remarkable in the great popularity of 
the White Elephant as a market potato. Its 
large size, smooth skin and light color make 
it one of the best looking and best selling of 
the later potatoes. rambler. 
Pres. Chamberlain, of the Iowa Agricul¬ 
tural College, states in the Ohio Farmer, that 
he has no doubt that the “B and W” is the 
best kind of corn for ensilage, quantity and 
quality considered. It is an immense crop, 
planted in rows about three feet eight inches 
apart and averaging by actual count^about 
133 stalks to every 100 feet in each,-rtrw, or 
nine to 10 inches apart. Nearly every stalk 
has a good large ear and the leaf-growth is 
immense. It averages about 13 feet high, 
many stalks being over 14 feet high, aod 
many ears nine to 10 feet to the silk. He does 
not well see how a heavier burden could stand 
on the ground. He proposes to report the 
weight per acre after weighing the whole. 
They wilt it a day or two before cutting it 
into the pits. The loads average about 3,000 
pounds, and it takes about 20 minutes to run 
a load through the cutter into the pits. Odo 
morning 3,350 pounds, went through in 20 
minutes. Three teams draw it from the field 
and it takes three men at the barn (besides 
the teamster unloading) to run the engine ard 
cutter and spread and trample the ensilage. 
Great care is taken to spread it evenly all over 
the surface, especially into the corners and 
edges of the silos, and trample it there thor¬ 
oughly so as to get up uniform heat through 
the whole mass. Thus far the edges and cor¬ 
ners get as hot as the rest; viz., 120° to 130", 
before they fill in a new lot. He has less faith 
in the value of wilting or drying the fodder 
than many have. If the corn is properly ma¬ 
tured and eared it is not too damp if run into 
the silo without wilting. One or two days’wilt- 
ing in gavels does not materially diminish the 
weight or the labor of handling, but it does 
greatly increase the toughness in cutting. 
When crisp and green it cuts like asparagus, 
almost; but when wilted it is tough and corky 
and the leaves will go through a good deal un¬ 
cut unless the knives are very keen. 
MULTUM IN PARVO. 
The Vermont E. S. says that Per Oxide of 
Silicates is chiefly a compound of some arseni¬ 
cal substance with plaster of Paris. A prepa¬ 
ration very closely resembling it can be made 
by thoroughly mixing one pound of Paris 
green, three pounds of London purple and 96 
pounds plaster of Paris. 
Hammond’s slug shot differs from the Per 
Oxide in using some land plaster instead of 
plaster of Paris, and in the addition of three to 
four per cent, of some heavy oil. It can be 
very closely approximated by mixing two 
pounds of Paris green, two pounds of London 
purple, 70 pounds of land plaster, 19 pounds of 
plaster of Paris and four pounds of some of the 
heavier coal tar oils. 
W riting about the late Florists’ Conven¬ 
tion held in New York, William Falconer 
says in Garden and Forest that a large and 
beautiful specimen of the new' watermelon, 
“Green and Gold,” cut open, was exhibited. 
1 
