787 
can seldom be done: but this difficulty is 
obviated by using: wells or cisterns. This is 
the best way; then the water is not so cold, 
and it is soft, and cheeper to obtain. 
I know of one man living in Wisconsin who 
while his brother gardeners barely made a 
living, cleared $5C0 from 10 acres last year; 
simply by having a 10-foot wind-mill and a 
storage tank and every ev-ning going over 
his vegetable and fruit ga dens with a com¬ 
mon stout sprinkler. Iu Western Kansas 
there are hundreds of market gardeners 
who depend largely upon the storage tank 
system, and prices are very little if any 
higher than in the East. Water-melons are 
raised for the Denver market for five cents 
apiece, and at a handsome profit too. They 
put them on the highest ground on which 
they can run water, and when I was there, 
(in September) the ground was literally cover¬ 
ed with melons. There are no rains to wash 
the pollen from the flowers, and almost all 
flowers set. The land wears out quicker 
there than here in Illinois; but they have a 
better fertilizer in Alfalfa than we have in 
clover or any other grass or crop. I do not 
think that irrigation would be practicable 
for general farm crops in the East, ex¬ 
cepting perhaps potatoes. This crop some 
years would pay a good profit if it had all 
the water it could use. 
There is one drawback about an irrigating 
district: people are sure to have malaria to a 
certain extent; that is. in the West. The case 
perhaps would not be so in tho East. 
I saw one piece of onions one and one-eighth 
acre in extent that yielded 30.000 pounds. 
The price paid for them was two cents per 
pound wholesale. With a chance for irrigation 
an Eastern gardener or fruit raiser would 
make his greatest profit in a dry season. 
Fruit always sets better in a dry time and 
it looks reasonable that a larger crop could be 
raised with irrigation in a drought than could 
be raised without irrigation in a wet time.and 
the price is always best in droughty years, as 
all know. The cost of irrigation is not nearly 
so great as people think. \v. d. herrick. 
A MAJORITY IN PENNSYLVANIA. 
No Fall Plowing for Hoed Crops.— I 
shall never plow sod in the fail for the use of 
hoed crops the following season: first, because 
if not plowed very late the grass starts, and 
before the time to plant the ground must 
receive rep ated harrowings to subdue the 
grass and put it in good tilth for the crop. 
Second, because when left uutil spring and 
the grass gets well up and is then turned un¬ 
der, fermentation so in commences and the 
heat from decomposition gives warmth and 
vigor and the seed germinates more readily 
and will keep in advance of that upon the 
ground plowed in the fall before. In the fu¬ 
ture therefore all sod ground will be plowed, 
when it is intended for hoed crops, in the 
spring as late as possible before planting. 
Thirdly wnen the crop gets a good start aud 
pushes forward rapidly it keeps in advance 
of the cut-worm aud insects destructive to 
the life of the crop, and matures much more 
uniformly. 
Blessings in Disguise.—How few farmers 
ever seem to realize that there are many 
blessings coming to them in a thousand aud 
one ways that really seem catastrophies. A 
farmer commences to dig a well aud after he 
has got down a few feet, enters a vein of quick¬ 
sand and hastens to abandon the underiak 
ing. A misfortune seems to have come to him. 
Heavy rains soon fall and he learns that 
water from a cesspool some little distance off 
is finding its way into the excavation already 
made. How fortunate that his effort was a 
failure. What a misfortune if he had com¬ 
pleted the well and poisoned his family with 
the impure water, causing typhoid fever, 
diphtheria or some similar disease. 
Erie Co , Pa. h. a. w. 
WASHINGTON TERRITORY SAFE. 
Our Mangold Patch. Of all the work 
done on the farm nothing has given us so 
much real pleasure as our mangold patch. 
Last year we had a splendid crop of mangolds, 
and the boys bragged over the neighbors in 
high glee at our success. I told the lads this 
spring that if they would help me, we would 
raise a crop worth talking about this year. 
We took a piece of ground th it had been used 
two years tor cauliflower seed raising, and as 
we have to use large quantities of fertilizers 
on our seed ground, the soil was very rich. 
We started as early as the ground could be 
worked in the spring, turned an eight-inch fur¬ 
row, harrowed, rolled, harrowed again, then 
with a drag for crushing the clods we went 
over it again uutil the ground was as fine as 
an onion bed. We now sowed half of our 
manure. We used for fertilizers fish bone— 
the refuse of the salmon canneries after the 
oil has been pressed out—at the rate of 1,600 
pounds to the acre, and harrowed it well 
into the soil. We now had a fine seed bed. 
We then took the turning plow and set it to 
TK!i BUBAi HFW-Y0BKEB. 
run nine inches deep, and having turned our 
seed-bed to the bottom, sowed the rest of our 
fish-bone and worked the soil as fine as before. 
We marked off 16 rows three feet apart, 150 
yards loner, which gave us about half an acre. 
We drilled in three pounds of Norbiton Giant 
sepd to make sure of a stand. As soon as the 
plants were well up, we started the wheel hoe 
and ran within half an inch of the plants on 
both sides of the rows, killing all weeds except 
those in line with the plants. When the 
plants were about three inches high, we start¬ 
ed with sharp hoes and with a chop across the 
line of rows, left the plants on little islands, 
from a foot to 14 inches apart, which made 
thinning and weeding very easy work. This 
was the only hand weeding we gave them; 
the remainder being done with a Planet Jr. 
horse hoe. They were worked once every 
ten days with the horse hoe until 
the tops covered the ground so that there 
was danger of breaking the leaves. About 
the last of July one of the boys spent half a 
day in running on them about 35,000 gallons 
of warm water from one of our .water tanks. 
We could now almost see them grow. They 
didn’t get a check from the time the plants 
peeped out of the ground until the 25th of 
October, when we harvested them. There 
were not half a dozen misses in the field, for 
the boys bad transplanted a plant iu every 
miss, which were very few. 
Now for results: There was an average of 
435 plants in a row. We pulled 100 which 
were as near the average of the field as we 
could select them, and they weighed, trimmed 
for the pit, 1,180 pounds, so we gave the aver¬ 
age at 11 pounds per plant and that gives us 
at the rate of 76 tons to the acre—a very satis¬ 
factory yield. Our three largest plants weigh¬ 
ed 70 pounds; the three smallest 9% pounds. 
Puget Sound. h. a. march. 
DELAWARE RIGHT SIDE UP. 
As winter approaches we gradually gather 
in the fruits of our year’s labor, and at least 
make a mental note of the various crops raised. 
Some have proved good investments; others 
are partial failures, and we would have been 
better off financially, if we had left some 
alone altogether, but in farming, like every¬ 
thing else, we have to live and learn. I think 
that, on the whole, this has been a very 
prosperous year for the farmers of this Pen¬ 
insula. Crops have beeu good; we have had 
no plagues of any kind, and, as a rule, the 
tiller of the soil, even if he has not received 
a just share of the profits of what he has 
grown, has something to show in the way of 
gain in his farm account book—if he keeps 
one. I have asked several good farmers what 
special crop has paid them the best this sea¬ 
son, and with one accord they reply, “Peach¬ 
es.” This is true. No other crop nets so much 
clear money to the grower. One effect this 
has is to cause us to neglect minor crops, be¬ 
cause we cannot make the same profit on 
them. Many other crops grown on this Pen¬ 
insula return a fair gain. Corn is a staple 
crop and one that pays, taking everything 
into consideration, as it gives us a vast 
amount of material to convert into manure 
to be returned to the land from which it was 
taken. Aside from its value as feed for all 
stock during the winter, I think the most un¬ 
profitable crop raised by any of our farmers 
tbis season was “wild oats.” This crop is 
usually supposed to be sown by young men 
exclusively; but in this case it was the older 
folks that got caught. Many good farmers 
invested in them at the rate of two dollars 
per bushel, usually taking a hundred dollars’ 
worth, and after making a special crop of 
them were rewarded by about three bushels 
from one of sowing. Bougut wit is good, but 
this came too high. 
There has been a tendency towards making 
a specialcy of swpet potatoes in this section, 
aud the present crop seems to justify the un¬ 
dertaking. 
I have noticed a marked tendency among 
farmers this year towards ad >pting the plan 
of raising the greatest variety of crops pos¬ 
sible. The plan is a good one. Although 
some of the crops may not pay quite as 
well as others, yet it divides the work up 
more evenly, and, to a limited extent, leaves 
us less perishable crops on our hands at one 
time to be cared for. clod-hopper. 
Dover, Del. 
new jersey joins the union. 
The Rural asks me to state something that 
my neighbors ought to be thankful for. Well, 
one of my neighbors has had an object-lesson 
that he won’t be likely to forget for a good 
while. This man is a “city farmer.” The 
lesson that has been rubbed into him has to 
do with hired help. He had an idea and a 
hobby. The idea was that a man can do 
business in the city and at the same time 
supervise a boy so that he can do as much 
work as a man. The hobby was that hundreds 
ot city boys who work for low wages ought to 
come into the country and work on the farms, 
thus relieving the cities and providing he 
farmers with intelligent heln. This is a very 
pretty doctrine, but it is all'humbug when ap¬ 
plied to practical agriculture in New Jersev. 
Mv neighbor hired a bov who thought he 
wou Id like to be a farmer and they weDt at it. 
Any practical farmer could have told him 
just how the experiment would terminate. 
He should be very tuankful this Thanksgiving 
that this experience has been driven into him 
so sbarplvitbat he won’t be apt to try it again 
without feeling an itching at the old wound. 
He has learned that cheap men can give 
nothing but cheap work, and that a good man 
cannot be had for a poor price. He has also 
learned that the idea of taking city boys to 
learn agriculture is not business but chanty, 
and a mighty thankless charity at that. 
jerseyman 
Ctrmpwf )txt. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Canada. 
Alma. Wellington Co., Ontario, November 
12 —The past season, like that of 1887, has 
been dry, differing in this, that whereas last 
year we had rain in plenty until July, follow¬ 
ed by extreme heat, this year was dry 
throughout the growing months. Hay is 
scarce and worth $17.00 per ton. Of wheat 
there is little to sell, but it is worth $1 17 per 
bushel. Oats and peas were average crops 
though short in the straw, 35 and 20 bushels 
per acre respectively. Potatoes are plentiful 
and cheap. 40 cents per bushel. Roots slightly 
below an average; but sound and of good 
quality. Fodder is scarce and cattle are sell¬ 
ing low. Farmers will need to practice econ¬ 
omy in the matter of feed this winter, a. g. 
Iowa. 
Tipton, Cedar County, November 8.— 
Rainy weather continues; we have heavy 
rains every few days, which are keeping our 
corn fields so soft that we can hardly haul 
our corn away. There is so much rain that 
we can’t husk more than one day in four. 
The corn is kent damp, and unfit to crib. The 
crop is heavy and badly down on the ground. 
If snow should fall early it will hinder corn 
gathering a great deal. Potatoes are n fine 
crop in quantity and quality. Oats averaged 
45 bushels per acre. Spring wheat was 
spoiled by Chinch bugs and hot weather. 
Grass and hay were fair crops. e. a. 
New York. 
East Rock away, Queens Co., Nov. 17 —At 
tbis writing farming, or rather market gar¬ 
dening, is being carried on as effectively on 
Long Island as it has been at any time dur¬ 
ing the year. This is due in part to the mild¬ 
ness ot the season, but chiefly to the intro¬ 
duction of foreign methods and labor. A few 
years ago all out-of-door farm operations 
ended with the cutting and husking of the 
corn; now work is continued throughout al¬ 
most the entire year. As soon as the ground 
freezes so as to prevent out-of-door work 
other than the taking ud of celery and roots, 
the work of forcing plants in the hot-beds and 
greenhouses begins. Our native farmers and 
gardeners have learned some valuable lessons 
from their foreign neighbors and hired help. 
J. H. G. 
Washington Territory. 
Davenport, Lincoln County, November 9. 
—Crops here were somewhat better than 
usual. This, together with the prospects of 
getting railroad communication with the 
coast, causes farmers to be more hopeful. 
Our county is quite new, but will probably 
prove to be one of the richest agricultural 
sections of eastern Washington Territory. 
w. T. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
• 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to insure attention Before 
asking a question on ase 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. 
DRAINING BY MEANS OF WELLS; STRAW¬ 
BERRY CULTURE. 
F. O. C., Washington , Kans. —1. To drain 
a lot, would it do any good to bore a hole 
with a post auger and with a two-inch auger 
continue the hole eight feet to a vein of sand; 
put a board over the inside hole; put in six 
inches of hay, then fill up with earth? If so 
how far apart should the holes be made? 
2. For hill culture in Kansas what market 
strawberry will produce the most quarts of 
large berries? 3. How close should one [plant 
them for horse culture? 4 What implements 
should be used? 5. How much stable manure 
should be applied, if it is plentiful? 
Ans. —1. This method is reported by several 
who have tried it, to be a practical one, in 
cases where a substratum of sand exists. 
Better results are obtained by constructing a 
well two or three feet in diameter and filling 
with stones or coarse gravel. It has been 
stated by several who have tried this method, 
that silt soon washes in aud prevents effectual 
drainage. This can in a measure be pre¬ 
vented bv constructing a silt basin or secondary 
well, which discharges from its upper part 
into the main or drainage well. One well 
will drain several acres and mav answer as an 
outlet for tile drains. 2 The American 
Pomological Society’s catalogue double-stars 
Charles Downing, Crescent, and Miner for 
Kansas, while Cumberland, Kentucky and 
Sharpless are single-starred. Of the first 
three, only Miner would be entitled to be 
called large; while Crescent could only be 
recommended to be planted with a perfect¬ 
flowering variety to fertilize it. Each of the 
latter three possesses valuable qualifications 
for the purpose proposed, the most serious ob¬ 
jection to them being a lack of productiveness 
under ordinary treatment; in other words, 
cultivation in matted rows, which may fairly 
be assumed to be the system under which their 
stars have been won. Hill culture has proved 
to be, at least m a considerable degree, 
a remedy for this; and it seems prob¬ 
able that Sharpless or Cumberland would 
very satisfactorily fulfill the required con¬ 
ditions, with Kentucky to follow as a 
later variety. No statement is given re- 
pecting soils; and for this and other reasons 
it will be safer for the planter to carefully 
observe the relative success of varieties in his 
vicinity, before choosing the variety to be 
planted. 2. Three ftet apart, each way, 
leave convenient space for cultivation; but 
if land is valuable, or the space limited, two 
and a half feet will suffice. When grown in 
hills, in good soil, a single plant will usually 
cover a space from one and a half to two feet 
in diameter. 3. In preparing the ground 
for planting, use such implements as will thor¬ 
oughly and deeply pulverize the soil; but, 
after the roots have occupied the soil, employ 
such implements as will move the surface soil 
only, leaving it as level as possible. 4. So 
much depends upon the natural fertility of 
the soil and its present condition in this par¬ 
ticular, that no defiuite amount can safely be 
specified. Excessive application of stable 
manure to some soils would tend to the pro¬ 
duction of plants or foliage rather than fruit. 
A safe rule would be to put the ground in 
condition for a first-class farm crop. As 
many as forty loads of manure per acre have 
been known to be profitably applied annually. 
5. We have no statement at hand of 
amounts actually grown with hill culture. It 
may be assumed that the quantity would not 
vary greatly from that produced with matted 
rows, the advantage being largely in the in¬ 
creased price secured for fruit of superior 
quality grown upon matted rows. Two hun¬ 
dred and fifty bushels per acre are considered a 
large crop. This would be about three-fifths 
of a quart to the bill at three feet apart. 
APPLYING MANURE; SOWING OATS. 
J. W. T , Staunton, Va .—I have a 15-acre 
field, soil sandy, now covered with Timothy 
sod. I wish to put in oats the coming spring 
to be followed next fall with wheat and grass. 
I intend covering it over this winter with 
stable manure. Shall I haul the manure 
out before plowing the field and turn it un¬ 
der; or had I better plow first and spread the 
manure on top and harrow it in? What time 
would be best to plow land of this character? 
When should oats be sowed in this section? 
Does the Rural recommend drilling or 
broadcasting, and what quantity of seed to 
the acre? About how many two-horse 
wagon loads of manure should be put on 15 
acres? 
ANSWERED BY HENRY STEWART. (NORTH 
CAROLINA.) 
There is some difference of opinion among 
farmers as to the application of manure on 
the surface and plowing it under. But in re¬ 
gard to this important subject circumstances 
are to be considered, and in this case, the cir¬ 
cumstances p .id the locality have a serious 
bearing upon the question proposed. The 
manure is intended to benefit the wheat and 
grass, as this ultimate purpose is the chief end 
in view. Consequently, the manure should be 
put where it will do the most good, and that is 
unquestionably in the soil and not on the sur¬ 
face. The soil has an important effect iD the 
decomposition of the manure, which 
will be exerted during the summer, and 
while the oats will be benefited to some extent, 
