348 
MAY 25 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
time and harvest; yet a corn, like Angel of 
Midnight, which matures in 90 days in Mas¬ 
sachusetts, will not get out of the milk in the 
best seasons in the Province of Quebec. 
When far northern corn is taken far south¬ 
ward, it tends to become feeble under the hot 
sun, and produces only a few chaffy nubbins, 
although it may give from 50 to 100 bushels of 
sound corn to the acre in its home. 
Trek Within Tree.— The case reported 
by W. P. B. in a late Rural is not unique. 
There is a specimen preserved by Dr. H. A. 
Cutting, late State Geologist of Vermont, of 
a sapling some three or four inches in diame¬ 
ter, which dropped out of the interior of an 
immense and apparently primeval forest tree 
wheu.it was cut down and split open. What 
was very .curious,and caused the preservation 
of the specimen, was that although the old 
tree was, by its rings, upwards of 200 years 
old, the sapling presented plain marks of hav¬ 
ing been deeply cut by a steel axe. I write 
from memory, having, however, seen the 
specimen myself. Dr. Cutting’s address is 
Lunenburgh, Vt. 
How Explained.— The fact being assured, 
a theory of the cause is admissible. I believe 
that a serious shock to the vitality of a young 
tree may cause the growths of one, two or 
more succeeding years to adhere but slightly 
together, as we see it sometimes in what is 
called “shaky” timber. Then, the tree ac¬ 
quiring fresh vigor, grows on and may be¬ 
come very large. But when it is cut down 
and split open, the portion which grew before 
the injury may “peel out," or “come loose,” 
as described. 
THE CASH CROPS. 
VMHoigyCOKM 
WHAT OUR READERS RAISE TO 
MEET CASH EXPENSES. 
AGRICULTURAL CHANGES. 
Here is a copy of a letter that the R. N.-Y. 
has been s?nding to s">me of its subsiribers. 
Short replies from a few of the Eastern States 
follow. We shall publish more later. Mean¬ 
while we shall be glad to hear from any of 
our readers who are interested in finding the 
crop that will bring them the most money: 
“We believe in comparing notes as often as 
we can. It is a good thing for farmers to 
talk over crop prospects and means of raising 
money. The experience of one may teach an¬ 
other some good lessons. With this idea in 
mind, we take the liberty of asking you to 
send us brief answers to the following ques¬ 
tions relating to 
THE CASH CROPS. 
1. What crops or agricultural products do 
the people in your neighborhood depend upon 
to raise money? 
2. Where are such products sold and who 
buys them? 
3. How have prices averaged for the past 
few years, and what seems to be the pros¬ 
pect for the future? 
4. Are there any farmers in your neighbor¬ 
hood who are getting prices that are above 
the average? How do they do it? 
5. Has the farming of your section changed 
much during the past 10 years? Do farmeis 
depend for their cash upon other crops than 
those of the past? What has caused the 
change? Can you suggest still other changes 
that would be profitable? 
You will readily see that short answers to 
the above questions from different parts of 
the country would contain much valuable 
suggestion and information.” 
FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE. 
1—3. Growing fruits and vegetables, and 
keeping cows for milk are the things on which 
most of the people in this neighborhood de¬ 
pend to obtain money, though some are 
successful in the poultry business. Milk is 
sold to milkmen and they pay the farmers 
about throe cents per quart. Some of it goes 
to Nashua, and some to the creamery at 
Lowell, Mass. The other products are sold at 
STALLS 
mrrjlTAW | 
STALLS 
the markets in Nashua, N. H., and Lowell. 
No. 1 fruits and vegetables generally com¬ 
mand good prices, while inferior products 
have to be sold at low prices, and this seems 
to be the prospect for the future. 
4. Yes, there are some farmers who are get¬ 
ting prices that are anove the average. They 
do it by carrying to market only first-class 
products. Customers soon find them out and 
most of the buyers are willing to pay an extra 
price. 
5. Farming in this section has not changed 
much during the past 10 years, and most farm¬ 
ers grow about the same crops they used to. 
A few of them have changed, however, be¬ 
cause they found they could make more mon¬ 
ey and work no harder for it. I know one 
man who, 10 years ago, did not have a straw¬ 
berry plant growing; now strawberries are 
his principal crop. He grows fine berries and 
gets a good price for the fruit. It would pay 
many farmers to plant fewer acres and take 
better care'of their crops. One acre well cul¬ 
tivated will pay better than two acres half 
cultivated. f. e. s. 
Hudson Center. 
FROM VERMONT. 
1. Corn, [wheat, oats and barley are not 
raised here as cash crops. Indeed, potatoes 
are about the only cultivated field crop 
raised with the view of turning the same into 
ready money. Many thousands of bushels of 
onions were formerly raised yearly in this 
town; but this industry is now mainly con¬ 
fined to the French population, who alone, 
with the aid of their children, can raise the 
crop with much profit. Our potatoes are 
mostly sold, when dug, to middlemen; but 
some are stored till late fall or winter. 
Prices are unusually low r just now—only 25 
cents per bushel. Our fields are too small, 
and the ground is too uneven and stony for 
the use of expensive machinery in competition 
with the West. Still, one year with another, 
we consider this a paying crop. I think the 
product increases yearly and we are disposed 
to stick to it, and depend, if necessary, upon 
our “smartness” for success. The unwise 
no prospect of better prices. 4. A few by sell¬ 
ing choice Alderney milk get better prices. 5. 
There are more “truckers” now than former¬ 
ly, but,as a rule, farmers still depend on old- 
time crops. Some branches of farming,how¬ 
ever, have been dropped almost entirely, 
partly owing to low prices for grain of late, 
and partly on account of the disastrous com¬ 
petition with Western dressed beef,which has 
made the price of fat stock so low that farm¬ 
ers cannot afford to fatten either beeves or 
sheep. This means more expenses on the 
farm for fertilizers. I am glad that a bill 
has been introduced in the legislature of New 
York for the inspection of live stock before 
they are slaughtered. I would like to see the 
farmers of New Jersey wake up to the evils of 
the dressed meat traffic so that the average 
farmer could have a home market for his hay, 
straw and grain aud also be able to make 
abundant manure on the farm. J. Y. D. 
Robbinsville. 
1. Principally hay, milk, garden vegeta¬ 
bles aud eggs. 2. They are sold in near-by 
towns—Elizabeth, Newark, Plainfield, Rah¬ 
way, etc. Wholesale dealers or middlemen 
buy the most of them. Hay is sold to cus¬ 
tomers. Prices are much lo wer than they 
were 20 years ago, while expenses are about 
the same. There is no no visible prospect of 
improvement. 4. Some living near towns 
retail the milk and vegetables. 5. Agricul¬ 
tural pursuits have changed very much with¬ 
in the last 25 years. The old settler, indus¬ 
trious, practical, sensible, economical and ex¬ 
perienced, has gone. Speculators, foreigners 
and amateurs are trying to make farming 
pay, and failing, land is depreciating. A re¬ 
turn to some of the good old ways of our 
fathers, with under-draining, manuring.clean 
cultivation and better market facilities would 
be an improvement. d. C. 
Roselle. 
1. Summer vegetables, fruit, berries, hay 
and corn. 
2. To the residents of Asbury Park and 
Ocean Grove. 
3. The prices were very good until last 
the same feed needed for a calf will raise a 
colt to three years, and he will bring three 
times the money; it will keep another cow. 
Many farmers raise from one to three good 
stock colts por year, bringing from $150 to 
$250. Quite a good many peaches and small 
RAFT WATER POWER, Fig. 124. 
practice of selling large amounts of hay is on 
the increase. Over 5,000 tons were shipped 
from two railroad stations near-by during 
last fall and winter. Fattening beef is a 
thing of the past with us. The dairy pays 
fairly well and affords ready cash. The 
Spanish merino sheep! This is the banner 
county of the world for that golden-hoofed 
animal. 
Give us once again our former prosperity, 
and wo will be more contented and happy 
than the sons of Abraham in Jerusalem! 
Cornwall. L. w. P. 
FROM MASSACHUSETTS. 
1. D drying, poultry raising, and fruit cul¬ 
ture are the principal money-making farm in¬ 
dustries here. 
2. Most of our products are sold in Fitch¬ 
burg and Boston. Those sent to Boston are 
sold on commission. 
3. Prices of most products have averaged 
very well, although some fruits have sold low 
on account of over-production and poor quali¬ 
ty. The prospects are good I think for those 
who raise first-class products. 
4. If they do, it is because they raise a su¬ 
perior article and put it up honestly and at¬ 
tractively. 
5. The farmers in this place are, most of 
them, wide-awake and they try to keep up 
with the times, and if farming has changed 
for the past 10 years it has changed for the 
better 1 thiuk. A. W. B. 
Ashby. 
FROM NEW JERSEY. 
1. Milk, 2. It is partly shipped to Philadel¬ 
phia and partly sold at Trenton. 3. Average 
wholesale price cents per quart. There is 
year. As the boarding season then was so 
short prices didn’t pay. 
4. A few have regular customers the year 
round, but the sales are so small it does not 
pay to hunt them up. 
5. There have been many recent changes: 
40 years ago farmers depended mainly on their 
potatoes, peaches and strawberries for money. 
Peaches are now a failure through this section. 
The changes have been caused by the many 
summer resorts started along the shore, which 
have given us a home market. It does not 
pay to send our products to the city, as 
freight, commission and cartage take nearly 
all. I think it would be profitable to go into 
the dairy business more extensively. E. w. 
Farmingdale. 
Our crop rotation is about as follows:— 
Corn upon sod ground, and the manure of the 
farm is put upon it. By many the corn is 
largoly turned into pork; by others into milk 
for Trenton, Philadelphia, the sea-side resorts 
and the creameries. The pork-growers follow 
corn with rye, which is fed to hogs; others 
sow oats. These crops are followed by wheat; 
not that there is any profit in it, but it is the 
best crop for getting the land to grass, and 
we need the straw for bedding. We use 
commercial fertilizers on wheat. Then the 
land lies two years under grass—one to mow 
and one to pasture. The pork crop is cash. 
Much is used by local sausage makers, and at 
Trenton, (population C0,000.) Some fatten 
20,000 to 25,000 pounds by buying some feed. 
The milk sold to Trenton retailers pays best- 
three cents in summer and four in winter. 
That sold to Philadelphia comes next; that 
sold to the creamery brings about two to 
three cents. Not many calves are raised, as 
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Fig. 128 
fruits are raised, and considerable truck is 
grown, and, so far as we can, we try to grow 
such things as are not supplied by the great 
Northwest. s f. w. 
Allentown. 
FROM PENNSYLVANIA. 
1. Cabbage and potatoes. 
2. In the coal regions of Lackawanna val¬ 
ley, mostly in the city of Scranton. About 
half our products are sold to consumers; the 
other half to merchants and mark -tmoD. 
3. Prices for the past few years had been 
in favor of the producers, until last fall when 
there was a general decline, with a prospect 
of continued low prices. 
4. Yes, by raising a greater variety of 
vegetables and fruits, of better quality, and 
selling direct to the consumer. 
5. Yes, a few years ago the farmers of this 
section depended upon their hay aud potato 
crops for their money. Raising these caused 
poorer crops each year, until the want cf 
manure led to keeping more stock and feed¬ 
ing what little hay was raised. On account 
of the low prices of potatoes and the trouble 
of raising good crops, they are not grown as 
much as formerly. Cabbages have proved 
more profitable. Most farmers are selling 
their milk, and dairying promises to be the 
leading business for the future. We have a 
good market for small fruits, but little is 
grown here, and I predict a growing interest 
in this business in the next few years, while 
less attention will be given to raising potatoes 
and cabbages. G. w. G. 
Justus. 
1. The barley crop has been the main one 
for money. The rotation of crops aloug the 
lake is confined to clover, corn, barley, winter 
wheat, and then we seed down again. The 
corn is principally used upon the farms m fat¬ 
tening a few cattle or sheep. Lately hun¬ 
dreds of acres of grapes have been set out. 
What the outcome will be no one can tell yet. 
2. There are local buyers who buy aud ship 
to Pittsburg, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo and 
other points. 
3. Prices for the last few years have aver¬ 
aged as follows: barley, from (50 to 80 cents; 
steers, 3 % to five cents per pound on foot; 
wheat, about.$l per bushel; coni, about 40 to 
50 cents. 
4. One farmer who has] a herd of Jerseys, 
and makes fancy butter, has customers in the 
city and gets 80 to 40 cents per pound, when 
common dairy is from 16 to 25 cents. 
5. There has been very little change,’ with 
the exception of the grape business, aud rais¬ 
ing products for a canning factory that was 
started here a few years ago. 
The outlook for farmers is the poorest we 
have had since the war. There appears to be an 
over-production of everything. A good many 
potatoes wore raised here last year, and they 
have sold on the Erie street market as low as 
10 cents per bushel, and one man could not sell 
his load and offered to give them away. An¬ 
other raised a lot of onions; ho has them now 
and cannot give them away. The canning 
factory has shut down and will not run, 
