THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
FES 9 
the celery among the wholesale dealers. It 
was dirty, poorly bunched and trimmed, with 
a discouraged look generally. In Washing¬ 
ton Market I noted some very fine, fresn, 
clean-looking. Upon investigation, I found 
that the retailer, (more shrewd than the 
grower), had some of the same kind of celery 
seen in the wholesale house, which he was 
washing, trimming, and bunching in nice 
shape, and he was disposing of it at a good 
profit. 
In these days of close competition and small 
profits, when the mercantile classes have 
made a fine art of showing their goods to the 
best advantage, will it not pay the farmer to 
consider these things? I think it will. 
F. H. V. 
A FARMER’S NOTES. 
Weather. —We are having strange 
weather for this section of the country. The 
ground has been barely covered with snow 
once during the winter, and the mercury, 
has been down to zero but twice. The past 
year was a hard one for farmers generally. 
We had a good crop of hay, a fair crop of 
potatoes, and a poor crop of corn. There is 
considerable complaint that potatoes are 
rotting in the cellars, so that there is a good 
demand for them at 65 cents per bushel. Ap¬ 
ples are plentiful and cheap. 
Potato Scab.—I have seen a great deal in 
the Rural in regard to scab on potatoes. 
Last spring I broke up a piece of high, dry 
ground, furrowed it, and put shovelfuls of 
barnyard manure about two feet apart, and 
dropped a whole Clark’s No 1 potato the size 
of an egg on each manure heap. The season 
was very dry, and planting in this way 
brought the hills above the surface of the 
ground; but, contrary to general opinion, I 
had not a very large crop; but the tubers 
were as smooth and handsome as any lever 
saw. I also planted some of the same kind in 
trenches, but as the weather was so dry I did 
not consider it a fair test. I think I shall like 
that plan very well. 
Why a Farmer?— Some time ago the 
Rural, asked its readers why they engaged 
in farming—whether it was from choice or 
compulsion. For myself I can say that I live 
on a farm from choice. Until three years ago 
I was in a mechanical business in a large city. 
My health was not very good and so I bought 
a farm. have worked harder and made less 
money; but I would not go back to the city 
at all, and cannot understand why any one 
prefers the city to the country, and Mr. 
Terry’s reasons for living in the country, will 
answer for me. 
Bloat in Calves. — About September 1, a 
fine Guernsey heifer calf came along, which 
I wauted to raise. I did not let her suck at 
all. She was very hearty and did nicely for 
four or five weeks, when she began to bloat. 
After drinking about a quart of milk, she 
would puff up and could not drink any more; 
but she kept moving around and did not chew 
at all. I was told to try salt, charcoal, etc., 
but she kept bloating and grew very thin. 
One night, after drinking about a quart, she 
bloated so badly that I thought she would 
die. Her manure was rather hard. I gave 
injections,but they were of no use. I expected 
to find her dead, but she seemed pretty well 
in the morning. I put five heaping tea-spoon¬ 
fuls of Epsom salts in a little warm water and 
turned it down her throat, and began to give 
her about a quart of milk at a feed, and whole 
oats with some hay, and I kept increasing 
the ration, and now she eats a quart of dry 
oats and considerable hay every day, and is 
as smart and healthy as she can be. She did 
not bloat after giving her the salts. I looked 
over a number of volumes of farm papers 
which I had in the house, but could find no 
remedy for bloat in calves. r. n. h. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Illinois. 
McLean, McLean Co., January 13.—The 
past has been a very favorable season for 
farmers in this section. Corn was extra 
good. Hay and oats were average crops, but 
oats were badly lodged. Potatoes enough to 
supplv the home markets are not raised here. 
The deficiency is supplied from Dakota. A 
great many draft horses are raised here, 
which sell foi from $150 to $250. I think the 
Rural is the best farm paper 1 have ever 
seen. Success to it 1 a. r. t. 
The crops last year were not up to the aver¬ 
age. Corn, of which we do not raise enougn for 
home|consumption,was not as good as in former 
years, on account of drought, grubs and the 
wire-worms. Wheat, of which there is but 
little grown, was good. Potatoes gave an un¬ 
usually large yield, the Rural Blush taking 
the lead Oats were good both in quantity 
and quality. The late fall and open winter 
have favored the farmer. More plowing has 
been done than for some time. We look for 
the Rural as for one of the family. 
w. d. w. 
Montana. 
Como, Missoula Co., January 10.—As 
predicted last spring, the crops of 1888 were 
very light owing to scarcity of water for irri¬ 
gating purposes. Many fields yielded no 
more than half as much as in ’87. So far this 
year all the indications point to another un¬ 
favorable season, the snow-fall so far having 
been very light. Our soil is so productive that 
under very unfavorable conditions the yield 
is a wonderful encouragement to laziness and 
careless methods of farming. A neighbor 
seeded an acre of Bunch grass sod to wheat 
last spring, irrigated it once, and last fall 
thrashed 52 bushels from it. Owing to pres¬ 
sure of work incident to opening a new farm, 
I allowed my potatoes and rutabagas to care 
for themselves last year. They were irri¬ 
gated, but nothing else was done to them, and 
from oue acre I dug 270 bushels of marketa¬ 
ble tubers and 35 bushels of small ones; while 
from half an acre I took 255 bushels of ruta¬ 
bagas. Prices are, hay, $S.OO to $10 per ton; 
wheat, 50 to 60 cents; oats, one cent per pound; 
potatoes, three-quarters to one cent; butter, 35 
to 40 cents; eggs, 30 to 35 cents, per dozen. 
a. c. 
New Hampshire. 
Milford, Hillsborough Co., Jan. 21. 
—The weather here is very warm and 
pleasant. I plowed on January 1, and also 
the 3d. I have been to work on the land 
since then drawing out manure, blasting and 
getting out stones. We think there never was 
a winter when so much could be done on the 
land as at present. There is not much doing 
in the woods. A few winters like this would 
be a good thing for the forests, but in our sec¬ 
tion the trees grow about as fast a3 they can 
be cut down, and there are more woods than 
there were 25 years ago. Everything the 
farmer grows is very cheap. It no longer 
pays to keep oxen; for we cannot turn them 
for beef and get our money back, and some¬ 
times we get discouraged with life on the 
farm, but I will not go back to the city, for 
wo get a living here if we do not have so 
much money to handle, and it is much better 
for the children to remain here, and I just love 
farming and I am not as easily discouraged as 
some. I think when we get a good thing it is 
well enough to let the producer of it know 
that we appreciate it. Now this applies to the 
Rural New-Yorker I think it far ahead of 
any other paper I ever saw, and I would not 
sell the old numbers of last year for $2; for 
with that splendid index it is invaluable. I 
wish that I could make our farmers ap¬ 
preciate it. Some of them think it is out of 
our latitude. I tell them that it is good for 
all latitudes, and that I don’t want to farm 
without it. I know that money comes hard 
with many; but if they would take the Rural 
and read itunderstandingly, they would more 
than get their money’s worth every time and 
also get a paper that every member of t he 
family could read—a clean paper, advertise¬ 
ments and all. p. c. 
New York. 
West Shelby, Orleans Co., Jan. 25.—The 
weather is very warm and balmy like spring. 
Hay is selling at $15 per ton in the market. 
Apples are a drug in the market, though in 
quality they are the best we have had for 
years. Several thousand barrels are being 
held by farmers and dealers; they are worth 
from 75 cents to $1.00 per parrel now, and 
there is no demand at these figures. Farmers 
are plowing and trimming their orchards. 
Land has decreased about 20 per cent, in 
value in the last 10 years. There are plenty 
of vacant tenant houses. Labor is scarce and 
the laborer demands more for his work than 
the farmer can afford to pay. Several acres 
of Niagara grapes have been set in this vicin¬ 
ity, with a very poor prospect for the grow¬ 
ers, as the Grape Company sold the grape- 
roots at a high figure, and the farmers paid 
the first cost of the plants down; and gave 
the company a lien on their vineyards for one- 
half of the crop, for a term of years, until the 
balance is paid. The Grape Company has 
made a fortune already; but time only can 
tell how the farmers will make it pay. 
J. p. c. 
Ohio. 
profitably between March and December. At 
the end of that time the pig should weigh 150 
to 250 pounds. “Dirty as a pig” is an old 
saying; but pigs prefer clean pens and food, 
though they will drink the foulest slops wUen 
forced to do so. They will repay one well 
for the care of their pens and warmth. He 
feeds crushed oats and oil-cake in place of 
bran. He begins to feed his pigs clover and 
green stuff as soon as they are weaned. Pigs 
that are soiled give the best results. Disease 
is largely caused by depriving our pigs of 
clean quarters and green food. He continues 
feeding clover to his pigs till fall, in Sep¬ 
tember he begins feeding Indian corn. He 
can tell by the grain of the meat as soon as 
his knife touches it, whether a pig has been 
fed on distillery slops or on clover and grain. 
Hogs fattened on barley make beautiful meat, 
containing much gelatine, the taste resem¬ 
bling that of the jowl or cheek of the pig. 
Pigs should havG plenty of pure water. De¬ 
tails in pig breeding are as important as in 
other sorts of business. 
Dr. J. A. Lintner, State Entomologist, spoke 
on “Our Insect Enemies” and showed the 
true value of the study of entomology to the 
farmer. He said the despised worm is in 
many particulars more wonderfully construct¬ 
ed than our own bodies. The number of in¬ 
sects far exceeds that of all other classes of 
animals combined. There are no less than 
25,000 species in the United States, and 
335,000 species are known in the whole 
world; while Dr. Asa Fitch estimated 
that a single cherry tree ten feet high 
was infested by 12,000,000 plant lice. 
One-tenth of every crop grown is destroyed 
by insects. The methods of reproduction are 
most peculiar and varied. The larval stage 
is one of incessant feeding. One of the fleshy 
larvae will in one day increase its own 
weight 200 times. There is a continual 
struggle between man and the insects. We do 
not fight the species but the individuals. We 
seek rather to control than destroy the insects 
and to prevent them from depriving us of 
our profits. Nearly all of our worst 
pests have been introduced from Europe, 
though their infesting parasites often fail to 
follow. Each year their ravages are becom¬ 
ing greater. Formerly no apple insects were 
known, now there are 223 species. Among 
the controlling agencies are clean culture and 
high cultivation; children should be taught 
to study the habits of insects so that they 
will distinguish t>etween friends and foes and 
destroy the latter. Paris-green and the spray¬ 
ing pumps must supplement prayer or it will 
be of no avail. 
The paper of John Gould on “Dairying De¬ 
manded by the Times” was thoroughly en¬ 
joyed by all, and will be printed in a later 
number of the Rural. Pres. Adams, of 
Cornell University, Prof. A. J. Cook of 
Michigan Agricultural College, J. H. Hale, of 
Connecticut, and Prof. L. H. Bailey, of 
Cornell, also addressed the institute. 
The meeting was closed by a short talk from 
State Dairy Commissioner Brown on “Dairy¬ 
ing in New York.” M. F. w 
CORRESPONDENTS’ VIEWS. 
Market Notes. —In a recent tour among 
the commission houses and markets in this 
city, I noticed a few things that farmers 
would do well to thiak of. After the farmer 
or gardener has labored hard to grow a crop, 
he certainly ought to do his best to put it on 
the market in good shape. Failure to do this 
is what generally makes the difference between 
the high prices quoted in market reports and 
the low ones received by farmers. I no¬ 
ticed one lot of apples which were faced with 
wormy, knotty, inferior fruit, that should 
have been kept on the farm for stock feeding. 
Customers in search of nice fruit, looked at 
them, shook their heads, and passed on. It 
cost just as much for a barrel to put those in¬ 
ferior apples in; just as much per barrel for 
freight and cartage, and just as much for 
commission on that inferior fruit, as it would 
on first-class, nicely assorted and packed 
apples, while the price received was probably 
not half so much. 
One customer wanted a barrel of extra- 
large turkeys. The commission merchant 
had two barrels of large and small, good, bad, 
and worse, all mixed. To get what he wanted, 
the purchaser must buy the whole lot, which 
he would not do, unless at a much lower 
price than was asked. One barrel of the large 
turkeys, packed alone, would have brought 
two-tbirds, or three fourths as much as the 
two barrels mixed. It would have paid well 
to grade them. 
I noted the generally poor appearance of 
Gurnee, Lake Co., January 20. — The 
times are very close in this locality, although 
we have had an average crop year. 
Edinburgh. Portage Co., Jan. 21—The 
season has been very wet since September; 
the roads are almost impassable. Rain and 
snow, freezing and thawing have been con¬ 
tinuous nearly all winter. 
Wheat on the ground looks more prom¬ 
ising than it has for some years at this sea¬ 
son. Corn good, but much of it is standing 
yet owing to the wet season. Oats good; hay 
about an average crop. 
Wheat has been somewhat below an average 
in this part of the country. a. s. p. 
ANSWERS TO OORRESPONDENTS. 
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PROFITABLE HARDY APPLES FOR EXPORT. 
J M McA.. Belton , Can .—Almost the en¬ 
tire profit fu growing apples in this section is 
obtained by shipping them to the British mar¬ 
kets. Buyers pay little regard to quality if 
the apples are of good size and appearance, 
and have good shipping qualities. Wiih this 
consideration in view, which are the six most 
profitable varieties for export? They should 
be hardy enough to stand a temperature of 30 
degrees below zero, and be named in the order 
of their merit. 
ANSWERED BY DR. T. H. HOSKINS. 
Six varieties of apples likely to be profitable 
orchard fruit, suitable fo" the colder parts of 
Ontario, and adapted to the Eng'Lh market, 
are not known, good shipping quality being 
included with firmness of flesh sufficient to 
prevent bruising in transit, an i keeping quali¬ 
ties that allow the fruit to be hel l over a dull 
market. In the warmer parts of Ontario 
most of the apples grown for foreign ship¬ 
ment in Western New York and Michigan, 
such as Baldwins, Kings, Greenings and Rus¬ 
sets, can be grown; but not where the winter 
temperature is as low as stated. The require¬ 
ment of “good size,” if it means large, or 
even medium size, excludes the Fameuse, 
which otherwise might suit,also the Shiawassee 
Beauty. Both of these would be hardy enough 
against the climate. The Fameuse is shipped 
to some extent from Montreal; but ‘gener¬ 
ally packed (choice specimens only) in patent 
packages like egg-boxes, to be sold at a fancy 
price. The Shiawassee is a Michigan seedling 
of Fameuse and much like it, though a little 
more oblate, and slightly more acid. It is 
more valuable than Fameuse because it spots 
less. Along with these, and a little larger 
may be placed the new Princess Louise, which 
is a fine fancy apple. It has not yet been 
much propagated, and trees are scarce. 
Among larger apples, the Winter St. Law¬ 
rence is pretty well thought of as an 
export apple in the Province of Quebec. 
It is a very good apple, much like 
the Fall St. Lawrence, but rather smaller, and 
a fairly good keeper. I have not found it 
very productive, but my trees are still young. 
Another very promising apple is McIntosh 
Red, because it is large, handsome and good 
and is firm enough for distant shipment in 
barrels. It is of the Fameuse type, but much 
larger, and darker in color. Carefully 
handled in Northern New England, it keeps 
very well. In unfavorable localities it is 
liable to spot, but in many places it grows 
quite fair, and bears well. Finally, the 
Wealthy may be named as among the best— 
superior in being al ways fair. It is of good 
size, color and quality, aud the tree is an early 
and very profuse bearer, aud the fruit a 
pretty good shipper. Not one in this list is a 
long keeper, and they should all be got off on 
the steamers from Montreal before navigation 
closes in the fall, to insure their arriving at 
market in good order, and keeping long 
enough afterwards not to cause loss to buyers. 
Fameuse should go on even earlier: not later 
than early September. Among them all, 
Winter Sc. Lawrence is prooably the safest 
as a keeper. The only real long keepers, 
adapted to a 30 d«g.-below-zero climate, vet 
generally known, are Ben Davis and Scott’s 
Winter; but the qualify of both of these ex¬ 
cludes them from the category of dessert 
apples. It is impossible to give the above list 
in the order of merit as requested, because 
merit depends upon more than a single 
quality. Size, color, flavor, firmness, fair¬ 
ness, and productiveness of tree, must all be 
considered, aud no one has ever seen all the 
good points in a single sort. 
