THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Postscripts. 
SHORT, SHARP AND SENSIBLE. 
“I find the nicest way to prepare ground 
for an orchard, is to'plowit in the fall in lands, 
the dead furrow coming just where the row 
of trees is wanted. Go an extra round in each 
dead furrow, deepening it as much as possible. 
The winter’s frosts and rains will mellow the 
soil and subsoil finely. Then in the spring 
harrow thoroughly and plow the earth back, 
making a back furrow in the dead furrow. 
Harrowing again leaves a mellow plant-bed 
of fine soil knee-deep. One does not have to 
dig a hole for the trees, but simply to throw 
out a few shovelfuls of dirt. I set out 000 two- 
year-old apple trees in three days all alone. 
Many of the trees were set by pushing the 
shovel down its full depth, pushing it forward 
a little, and putting in the tree, and dropping 
the earth back and treading it down 
firmly. The trees all lived and grew 
well.” W. B. H., Como, Montana.- 
“Here is a suggestion for those who wish to 
give their children an iuterest in agriculture. 
Take the Rural as it comes to hand, look 
for the author of the most interesting thing 
in it, tell the children the person's name and 
residence and let them look the latter up on 
the map—an advanced school geography will 
do. See what can be found out about the 
climate and natural resources of the place and 
the principal farm products of that region, 
and compare them with those of your own 
locality. Then tell them what you know 
about the author and what are the branches 
about which he or 6lre writes, how he works 
his farm and your opinion of his writings and 
farm practice. Also compare what he says 
with what any other writer on the same sub¬ 
ject teaches. Thus you will give your children 
a practical knowledge of the more prominent 
agriculturists in all parts of the country, 
which will be of at least as much use to them, 
if they are to be farmers, as will the knowl 
edge of famous generals, politicians and 
lawyers, usually found in children's books 
and papers.” F. W. H., Warren, Me.- 
“One year ago last spring I planted the Pond 
corn sent out by the Rural. I was so well 
pleased with it that last season I planted the 
whole crop, about one and one-half acre, and 
from this I bad as fine a prospect for a good 
yield of corn as I ever had in my life. But 
on the nights of Sept. (5 and 7, frost came and 
blasted my hopes and my corn. I have no seed 
now, and want one-half bushel. One year 
ago last fall, I sowed a bushel of the Thousand¬ 
fold rye on one-half acre. Last fall I thrash¬ 
ed 23 bushels of as nice rye as ever was 
raised here. Last fall I sowed two bushels on 
one acre; the stand looks nice now. I obtained 
my seed from a small paper sent by the 
Rural.” C. M. L., Centre Lisle, N. Y.- 
“1 cannot farm without the splendid old 
Rural. It has improved with every year 
and nrontir during which I have taken it. 1 
used to think that its price ($2 00) was prett y 
steep; but now I regard it as the cheapest 
as well as the best, and would do so even if the 
price were raised to §3. The special topics 
are most ably conducted. The cartoons are 
most excellently printed, and for originality, 
truthfulness and vividness, its teaching can¬ 
not be surpassed.” F. S. G., Phoenix, Ari¬ 
zona-“It is evident that the unprece¬ 
dented loss of poultry caused by the preva¬ 
lence of cholera will affect the poultry and 
egg market in the near future. In the por¬ 
tions of Long Island devoted chiefly to rais¬ 
ing broilers for the early market, the death 
rate from cholera has been enormous. It is 
not only the actual loss of the fowls that is de¬ 
plorable, but the discouragement which it 
brings to poultry raisers, many of whom 
have already decided to go out of the 
business.” II. L. J., Suffolk Co., N. Y.- 
“Potatoes are one of our staple products here, 
and I am greatly interested in the Rural’s 
trench system. I intend to get my neigh¬ 
bors interested by inducing them to subscribe 
for the Rural. The trench system has not 
been tried here yet, but it will be next season 
on this farm if my health is spared. The 
Rural is the only paper every word of which 
I read clear through, and we take about 
half a dozen papers, all of them good 
ones.” E. W. T., Gaiuesville, N. Y.- 
“if you want a true but old sketch you have 
it here: Amos G. Fassett rn 18(51, killed a hog 
30 mouths old that weighed 7771a pounds. It 
was a cross between the Chester White and 
the Berkshire. He raised the pig himself. It 
weighed 30 pounds when four weeks old. It 
was fed at first on milk, then on pudding; 
the pudding was made of corn meal and a 
ittle salt. After eating all the pudding he 
wanted, the hog had a handful of whole 
corn. There was no need of hiring any 
butcher, for there were present about 20 men 
with a pair of scales, to see Fassett’s hog 
killed.” E. A. F. Hancock, Vt.-“The 
Thanksgiving Number is splendid. We think 
all those who found fault with Mary Wager- 
Fisher’s “Dark Side of Farm Life” can forgive 
her now, for she has written of a very bright 
side. After reading her article, every word 
of which is true, we felt so proud to be farm¬ 
ers! Her dark side is true also. The idea of 
expecting it to be attractive! We very much 
admire Mary Wager-Fisher and Annie 
L Jack.” E. G. L., Essex, N. Y.- 
“I am greatly interested in the Rural experi¬ 
ments, especially in raising potatoes, as I am 
making that a specialty. I have shipped to 
market the last season over 3,000 bushels from 
15 acres. I raise Hebrons and ship them 
early, commencing about the middle of 
August. They net me 50 cents per bushel 
here. I have used the Aspinwall Planter for 
three seasons. It is a perfect workrng machine. 
I mtend to plant 40 acres next season and 
must have a digger. I use no manure except 
ashes and superphosphates. I used the last 
season about 1,300 pounds of the latter per 
acre.” E. B. True, Orleans Co., Vermont.- 
“ On a cold and stormy winter’s day, when 
everything is covered with ice and snow, 
when there is little lrfe to relieve the dreary 
death-like appearance of the landscape, it is a 
relief, a positive pleasure, to have a good-sized 
flock of crows in the neighborhood. Their 
peculiar aatics, their harsh chattering, their 
serio-comic actions, even their very Boldness 
are fascinating at this season and relieve the 
monotony of the winter. After all the hard 
stories which have been told about the crow ; 
after all our emphatic language when we have 
found evidence of his depravity in our corn 
fields, I am not so sure that we would exter¬ 
minate him if we had the power to do so.” 
Crow Lover. -“Here is a simple remedy for 
the currant worm,which I have used success¬ 
fully for 24 years and it has never failed. Try 
it! Take one ounce of sulphate of iron, (cop¬ 
peras) and dissolve it in two gallons of water 
and apply to currant bushes with a watering 
not and rose.” J. S , Sherburne Falls,Mass.- 
“People are talking about the good qualities 
af Japanese buckwheat. I sowed 1% bushel 
of Silver Hull buckwheat on July 20 and har¬ 
vested 52 bushels. This was my first sowing 
of buckwheat. I shall sow some of the 
Japanese also next year.” F. W. B , Potts- 
ville, Pa.-“I most highly indorse the 
Rural’s plan of enlisting the ladies in its 
method of potato culture. I feel very sure 
that if the ladies espouse the cause it will be 
a success, and if it will be any encouragement 
to the good cause I will take pleasure in 
donating a half dozen Idaho Pear trees one 
to each successful competitor. In thinking 
the matter over, R seemed to me this would be a 
suitable prize not only from the intrinsic value 
of the pear, but also owing to the fact that the 
Idaho was originated by a most estimable 
woman.” Jno. H.Evans, Lewiston, Idaho- 
“I am a woman 75 years old, but I would like 
to enter the Rural’s potato contest. The 
young ladies had better look out.” N. B., 
North Dartmoor, Mass.-“After a few 
years’ acquaintance we feel very much at¬ 
tached to the Rural, and are much Interested 
in tire ‘potato contest,’ and glad to see such a 
wide-spread interest in it from all parts of the 
country. It will certainly stimulate and en¬ 
courage many to interest themselves in the 
work, who might never have thought of labor 
in the field. It was a capital thought. Who 
knows what well-spriugs may be reached by 
it.” Neal Hambleton, Lancaster Co., Pa. 
-“The Rural satisfies n- If it can be 
made better, why it shou e done of course; 
but if it can be kept a 3 good as it has been in 
the past it may count on me as a subscriber 
while I am above the daisies. The 
editor should come over to Canada 
some time; we should like to see 
him.” W. S., Beansville, Out.- 
Porno logical. 
HOW TO GROW FRUIT. 
RES. T. T. LYON. 
Lovers of the business alone should engage 
in fruit culture ; how deep to set trees; 
when to prune ; at what} hight to permit 
branching. 
In a report of the Herkimer Farmers 
Institute, at page 819 of the Rural, Seth 
Fenner is reported as saying, among a variety 
of good things, under the above head—“If a 
man has no love for fruit culture, he had 
better stay out of the business. If there is 
any one branch of farming that needs care¬ 
ful thought and brains, it is successful fruit 
culture”—a very correct conclusion, as is also 
his advice concerning the [choice of soils, their 
preparation and under drainage. To the last 
I will add, however, that the planter will do 
far better to pay the full additional cost of 
thorough under-drainage for land with a 
thoroughly permeable subsoil than to attempt 
to secure the needful conditions by under¬ 
draining upon a retentive subsoil. 
The direction is given to “set the tree as 
deeply as it grew in the nursery.” This may 
do in the soils specified, but it should by no 
means be accepted for all soils. On very re¬ 
tentive soils (and some growers must plant 
upon such or not at all), the trees should be 
planted almost if not quite upon the surface 
and merely earthed up to the hight at which 
they stood in the nursery, while on light, dry 
soils they will be better planted somewhat 
deeper, and in very light soils even several 
inches deeper than when standing in the 
nursery. 
I regard the directions for pruning as, in 
the main, sound except that the cutting of 
any other than small branches, in May, while 
the sap is just beginning to move, is quite 
liable to result in bleeding and consequent 
disease. While pruning “with a jack-knife,” 
is a light matter, and may be done at almost 
any time, all pruning to secure the growth of 
a proper head, or to encourage the production 
of wood for any purpose, should be done 
while the tree is in a dormant state. Later 
on, if it becomes desirable to hasten or in¬ 
crease fructification, pruning while growth 
is in progress, or during the summer, may be 
expected to tend to that result. 
To my apprehension, the most objectionable 
advice is—“Never permit a limb to grow from 
the trunk less than five feet above the ground. 
This will allow a horse to pass underneath the 
tree, when cultivating the crops.” There are 
wide differences in the habits of trees; some, 
like Rhode Island Greening, Talman Sweet, 
Roxbury Russet, and others, would become 
low-headed trees, even if branched at five 
feet; while Early Strawberry, and Benoni 
among apples, and Buffum, Clapp’s Favorite, 
and many others among pears, would soon 
grow quite beyond reach if branched at this 
hight, and would scarcely at all interfere 
with cultivation, even if branched at the 
surface. 
If even the most spreading varieties be 
branched within one to three feet of the 
ground, varying to correspond with habit, 
although the head may somewhat interfere 
with cultivation while young, there will be 
little difference when older, since the tops, 
even if branched as high as six feet, will, 
when loaded with fruit, generally droop so 
low as to preclude cultivation; while the 
shade of the heads of low-branched trees, and 
when of bearing age, of high-branched ones 
also, will effectually prevent any injurious 
weed growths underneath, and thus obviate 
the need of cultivation there. This will 
generally be true of low-branched trees almost 
from the time of planting. 
Of the obvious convenience of low-branched 
trees, so far as the force of the wind, general 
management, and especially gathering the 
fruit are concerned, I scarcely need speak. I 
will only add that the soil is usually filled 
with feeding rootlets, even beyond the extent 
of the branches, and that, therefore, horse- 
cultivation, within that limit, should by no 
means be permitted. 
Van Buren Co., Mich. 
Various. 
Prolonging the Season for Green Corn. 
—During the past season, I arranged so as to 
have sweet corn at all possible stages for the 
table, planting every two weeks as long as 
there was any chance for its maturing. On 
the night of September 28th, there came a 
frost severe enough to kill the corn that was 
still green and prevent further growth. At 
that time I had some just fit for the table and 
some not quite filled out. The next morning 
I cut it all up before the frost was off and put 
it up in large shocks, leaving it there in the 
field. For more than a month afterwards it 
rained so often that there was no chance to 
get it in dry, and occasionally I would go out, 
open the shock a little and break off some ears 
for dinner. I then got in a part, put it in a 
cool place and in bulk, and had fresh corn 
daily for some two or three .weeks, when I 
drew in what remained outside aud treated it in 
the same way with the same result. It is now 
all gone with the exception of a few ears well 
filled but green, which I packed away in the 
husk in a wet place, as an experiment, and 
that I think from its appearance would be 
good boiled to-day (Dec. 12th). In view of 
this accidental experiment, may it not be 
possible by a little effort to extend the season 
for having green corn upon the table,[even in 
this climate, with all its frosts, from one 
three months? 
Cut green when just filled, keep moist and 
cool, and pluck when you want it. 
N. H. WILSON. 
Farmers’ wives are not generally “ farm- 
erines,” which might mean tillers of the soil. 
Many of us have all we can do without trying 
to draw this side of the cart. Yet every one 
of us means to be helpful in case of necessity 
or a chance to benefit ourselves. As for me 
who am a “home-keeper” and not a tiller of 
the soil, I will enter for the “potato contest” 
“Farmerine.” H.L. Faribault Co., Minn. 
Woman's Work. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY LOUISE TAPLIN. 
CHAT BY THE WAY. 
A VERY handy way to send coins in a 
letter is described in the Writer. The 
money is laid between two thin pieces of paste¬ 
board, such as old postal cards cut to a handy 
size, or even two pieces of blotting paper; the 
coin is then stitched in flat with the sewing 
machine. It cannot slide about, or break 
out, and it does not make a clumsy package. 
A very convenient idea, and one i asily carried 
out. 
* * * * 
In the early part of November the latest 
eccentricity in veils appeared in New York; 
a big piece of sprigged or dotted net, shirred 
at top and bottom, the upper part gathered 
around the crown of the hat—the lower part 
tied with a ribbon about the wearer's neck. 
They are worn over big, wide-brimmed hats 
and are decidedly baggy. The newspapers 
irreverently call them fly traps, but their 
more dignified title is that of Hading veils, 
after the French actress now visiting this 
country. When they first appeared, one 
would hardly see one worn in the course of a 
promenade and It would attract much atten¬ 
tion, but by the middle of December they 
were worn by dozens and seen everywhere. 
It is rather a ridiculous fashion, but; it finds 
plenty of followers. 
* * * 
During the cold weather one who is the 
victim of an unheated bedroom is very apt to 
neglect proper bathing, and yet it is as neces¬ 
sary as in warm weather. In so many coun¬ 
try houses the bedrooms are really too cold to 
take a bath without risk of a severe chill. 
The only thing to do is to arrange for the 
bath in a warm room. Even in very cold 
weather we have found the advantage ot 
bathing the feet in cold water before going to 
bed; the feet are not kept in the water long 
enough to chill the body and are thoroughly 
scrubbed with a towel until all in a glow. In 
many cases this is an effective remedy for 
cold feet. Another thing recommended by 
many doctors as a preventive of cold is to 
bathe the chest and throat night and morning 
in cold water. 
* * * 
A Very useful little gift is a postal card 
case. To make it, take two pieces of card¬ 
board a little larger than a postal card; from 
the front piece cut off the upper right-hand 
corner. Cover the outside with fancy silk, 
plush, or chamois leather; it may be painted, 
embroidered, or left plain. Cover each piece 
with an inner lining of silk, and neatly over¬ 
hand the two pieces together. Put a small 
cord around the edge, and put a little bow on 
the upper left- hand corner. Sometimes a nar¬ 
row strip of silk is overhanded between the 
two pieces, giving space for a larger number 
of cards. 
FEAR IN CHILDREN. 
I WAS much interested in an article in the 
Rural under this title. The author, “A 
Mother,” so nearly portrayed my own 
troubles, at night, from fear, when a child, 
of, I knew not what; (but 1 think my fears 
were more of people than auything super¬ 
natural) that it seemed as though it was my 
very self she was writing about. 
I well remember how I used to clutch the 
sheet, and pull it over my head, much to the 
disgust of my small bed-fellow, two years 
older than myself ; and in the morning the 
entire sheet would be lying above my head, on 
the pillow. I wonder, as I think bacK, that I 
did not smother, for I did not dare put my 
head from under the bed clothes in the dark. 
How often 1 called to the patient mother in 
the 4 ‘wee sma’ hours” of the night, “Mother 
are you awake?” aud “Yes, dear,” lingers [[yet 
