4K 
THE RURAL filW-VORfllB. 
JURE 22 
(9.) (10.) 
Bran, 8 pounds Oats, 5 pounds 
Fodder Corn, 5 “ Fodder Corn, 5 “ 
Oil Meal, 1 “ 
'll.) 
Clover Hay, 7 pounds. 
Oats, 5 “ 
ABOUT TWIN CALVES 
E. L. K., Licking, Washington. —Will 
twin heifer calves breed? I have been told 
that they will not; if so. what is the reason? 
Ans. —Yes. It is safe enough to conclude 
that both will breed. Your informant prob¬ 
ably meant that where twins are born, one a 
heifer and the other a bull, the heifer is usual¬ 
ly barren. Such heifers are known as “ free- 
martins” and they are generally unable to 
breed. The rule is not absolute, however. 
About the time your letter reached us, one of 
our friends in Livingston county, N. Y., 
sent us the following account of a fertile free- 
martin, which he knows to be correct: 
“ Two years ago next month one of the best 
cows I ever owned (grade Short horn) gave 
birth to twins, the get of a Holstein bull. The 
bull calf was sold to the butcher for veal, and 
the heifer, which was born first, and the 
la-ger by 10 pounds, I raised, together with 
four others, the get of the same bull. She has 
grown well and developed into a fine animal. 
She gave birth the 19th of the present month 
(April) to a bull calf, which weighed 90 
pounds, and is doing finely. She has a large 
udder, prominent milk veins, and, so far as I 
can judged bids fair to excel-, in all points, her 
half sisters of the same age.” 
BREEDING FROM CROSS-BRED BULLS. 
w. J., Glendale Farm, Md.—I have a fine 
bull calf from a thoroughbred Holsteiu bull 
and a thoroughbred Alderney cow. AVill it be 
as good a bull for breeding purposes as a 
thoroughbred, or would such a cross tend to 
di teriorate rather than improve the general 
qualities of milking cows ? 
Ans. —We presume Jersey is meant by the 
word Alderney. A cross between a Holstein- 
Friesian bull and a Jersey cow might partake 
of the character of one parent in preponder¬ 
ance to that of the other; or it might fairly 
represent both. This uncertainty is the most 
serious objection against cross-breeding and 
the use of cross-bred bulls for breeding. Such 
a bull would certainly not be so good as a 
thoroughbred, but it would be better than a 
grade of either breed, that is, a cross between 
the pure bred and a native; and while it 
would not improve the stock so much as a 
thoroughbred, it would not deteriorate it, as 
its good blood would have some useful effect. 
Sometimes excellent strains of cross-bred 
cattle have been made in this way by wise 
selection. 
GETTING RID OF SPARROWS. 
F. K. P., Delevan, Wis.— Can the Rural 
help us with regard to the sparrow pest ? In a 
village corporation here, an ordinance against 
shooting birds, though daily broken, is 
never enforced. But to lessen their numbers 
I have to be a law-breaker. 1 have lamed my 
arm stoning sparrows to very little purpose. 
Last year there was no ordinance against 
shooting them, and by doing so I had very 
little trouble from them. Is there any help 
in noiseless powder, air-guns, or what ? Or is 
the benefit from shooting, as some claim, due 
principally to the loud noise of the reports ? 
Ans.— Shooting is not a good way to rid 
ourselves of sparrows. Shooting drives other 
birds away. If shooting is practiced it should 
be in winter when most of our useful birds 
have gone south. The better way is to snure 
or poison them in winter. This may be done 
so as to cause no mischief and yet clear out 
the ‘parrows with a guileless conscience. 
A BLUNDER TO BE AVOIDED. 
W. D, G., Clintondale , N. Y. —As there 
appeals to be a diversity of opinions as to the 
meaning of “sulphate of copper” in the compo¬ 
sition of the Bordeaux Mixture, a remedy for 
rot in grapes, the Rural would, no doubt, 
help some of its readers by telling whether real 
sulphate of copper (blue vitriol) or sulphate of 
iron (copperas), which is also sometimes called 
sulphate of copper is meant. As there is a 
wide difference in the prices as well as in the 
effects of the two, no doubt should be allowed 
about the matter. 
Ans.— A deal of mischief, no doubt, has 
been and will be done by such blunders as 
those here mentioned. The Bordeaux Mix¬ 
ture is copper sulphate or blue vitriol, not 
sulphate of iron. Sulphate of iron is green 
vitriol or copperas. The Bordeaux Mixture 
is lime and copper sulphate. 
Miscellaneous. 
sheep, use Thymo-cresol, manufactured by 
T. W. Lawford & Co., Baltimore, Md. 
• 
E. C. F., New York .—The New York 
State Experiment Station, Geneva N. Y., 
will make analyses of chemical fertilizers for 
farmers in New York State. 
C. H. H ., Brightwood, Ind .—In a late 
Rural an item told us that potatoes were 
raised at the Michigan Agricultural College at 
the rate of 182 bushels per acre from whole 
“seed;” how large were the “seed” potatoes 
and were the plants thinned out after they 
came up or not? 
Ans. —Professor Johrson of the Michigan 
College, informs us that the potatoes were of 
medium size and were not thinned. 
G. W. T., Birmingham, Conn. —1. What 
is the cause of the injury to my Snyder black¬ 
berry leaves, samples of tvbich are inclosed? 
2. What is the best way to get rid of rose- 
bugs on grape-vines? 
Ans. —1. The trouble is caused by the so- 
called “ orange rust.” All that can be done 
is to cut down and burn the infested plants. 
It attacks the wild as well as cultivated kinds. 
2. The R. N -Y. uses Buhach or pyrethrum 
powder—one heaping table-spoonful to two 
gallons of water. Spray the vines through 
the Nixon or Cyclone nozzle. Repeat daily. 
DISCUSSION. 
CURING HAY: THE HAY-LOADER. 
C. S. Rice, Lewis County, N Y.—To 
save labor and experse, Mr. Terry cuts his 
heavy clover when he is very sure of fair 
weather, rakes while it is quite green 
and lets it cure in the windrow; Prof. 
Roberts with quality in view aDd plenty of 
labor at his command, cures his hay in the 
cock and uses hay-caps when deemed neces¬ 
sary, as set forth in the Rural’s recent Hay 
Special. 
It would probably trouble an expert to dis¬ 
tinguish samples which could be the results of 
these different methods of curing. When the 
cost is considered, there is quite a balance in 
favor of the windrow system, but in my own 
experience it was not cost alone that led me 
to abandon my former|practice of cocking all 
or nearly all my hay. The change was made 
when it was very difficult to get help to secure 
the crop in its season of greatest value for 
feediog. We try to secure hay when no rain 
is likely to fall just after it is cut, but if an 
unexpected shower should find a windrow ex¬ 
posed, the damage is not so great as that in¬ 
curred by allowing the crop to stand when the 
clover or Timothy is allowed to stand a week 
or two too long. If grass thai will yield two 
tons of bay to the acre is cut after the dew is 
off and before noon, and raked between 
three and five o’clock, the windrows may be 
turned over at 10 the next day, and drawing 
may commence at one o’clock. On the older 
meadows where there is but little clover, it is 
not always necessary to turn the rows, and 
frequently a load or two will be in condition 
to draw before dinner. 
I use a low wagon with broad tires, with a 
rack 10 feet long and eight wide, a strong 
team, a good hay-loader, a double harpoon 
fork, and have large bays in which to unload. 
The loads will average a ton and a-half, and 
in an emergency, with two or three hands on 
the load, a large amount of hay can be se¬ 
cured in a short time. I do not mow in 
doubtful or catching weather; but work at re¬ 
pairs or in the potato or corn fields, and by 
using the loader and drawing from the wind¬ 
row I am able to secure the hay crop in excel¬ 
lent condition aud in fair season. 1 do not 
often sell hay, but I have at different 
times sold Timothy from a mow 30 feet 
square for an extra price on account of its 
brightness and freedom from dust. 
With three good, strong, willing men hay 
can be quickly loaded with the hand fork, 
but such men cannot always be had, aud 
more hay can be handled in the same time 
and with far inferior help by using the loader. 
To illustrate the value ot this implement, 1 
will state that 13 years ago I had something 
more than 100 tons of hay to harvest. Soon 
alter beginning, my r son was taken sick aud 
was unable to labor for months. I had a very 
good hand 19 years old, and a boy 16 years 
old. I could not get other help. I was not 
able to pitch by hand or ride the mowing ma¬ 
chine, but could drive the team with the 
loader and could handle the harpoon in un¬ 
loading. 
The hay was secured with this weak force 
in good season aud without serious damuge 
by rain, thanks to the hay leader. On one 
occasion I had about four tons of fine hay in 
the windrow fit to draw at half-past three on 
Saturday afternoon, and 30 cows to milk. I 
thought that I could place the hay in the 
barn in as short a time as I could cock it as 
the fineness of the hay was no hindrance to 
the loader. I made three loads of it and 
had it safely in the barn and the cows milked 
by sun down. The team went the length of 
the rows—about 40 rods—without stopping. 
With ordinary ability and carefulness in 
judging of the weather, hay can be nicely 
cured in the windrow at far less cost than 
when cocked. By the use of the liay-loader 
it can be placed in the barn in good time with 
help wholly inadequate to care for the same 
amount with the hand fork. I have owned 
the loader 15 years, and have used it 14 sea¬ 
sons for an average of about 100 tons each 
year. The cost for repairs has not been 
more than one dollar for the whole time. 
Whatever others may think of the bay- 
loader, I value it as holding an important 
place among the improved implements that 
enable the farmer to accomplish his labor in 
less time aud with less expense than in form¬ 
er years. 
VALUABLE WHEAT EXPERIMENTS. 
V. A. S., Benton Harbor, Michigan — 
About October 2 or 3, 1887, after removing a 
potato crop grown on Timothy sod, in a clay 
loam soil, I planted, with a roller drill, in a 
young orchard, one and one-half acre of 
wheat (Hybrid Mediterranean,) one bushel to 
the acre, the drill rows being 16 inches 
apart, in order to facilitate cultivation, 
which was practiced several times, at the rate 
of eight or 10 acres a day, and with most 
gratifying results as to the growth of the 
crop. The treatment for the experiments 
was as follows: 
First, one space between the trees had been 
manured from the barn-yard in spring, for the 
potato crop. This was mulched in November 
with wheat s'raw four inches deep. Second, 
a space was manured as above,but not mulched. 
The remainder of the field received no 
manure in the spring, aud no mulch in the 
fall. Third, a space was dressed with ashes 
from Chicago smoke-houses at the rate of four 
tons to the acre, at seeding time. Fourth, a 
space received commercial fertilizer from 
Chicago at the rate of 800 pounds per acre, at 
seediug. Fifth, another space got no fertili¬ 
zer or manure whatever. Sixth, a space was 
top-dressed with half rotted barn-yard ma¬ 
nure at the rate of 12 tons per acre, aud it 
was harrowed in with the spring tooth before 
seeding. On four additional spaces completing 
the field, nothing was applied. The season 
was cold in winter, freezing and thawing in 
spring, and very dry in summer. The yield 
was 25 bushels to the acre. 
The results were carefully noted all through 
the season aud were marked as follows, the 
lowest grade being six: 
1st space, spring manured and mulched, No. 1. 
2nd space, spring manured, no mulch, No. 3 
8d space, ashes at seeding, no mulch, No. 3. 
4th space,phosphate at seeding,no mulch,No. 4. 
5th and four last spaces, no extra 
treatment, No. 6. 
6 th space, top-dressed from barn-yard 
at seeding, No. 2. 
The mulched space showed much the best 
stand, and made the most wheat. The space 
top-dressed ffrom barn-yard) showed the dark¬ 
est color aud strongest growth, but lost a 
little by freezing; otherwise it stood No. 1. 
There was a perceptible difference between 
the space treated with ashes aud that receiv¬ 
ing phosphate (cost the same,) in favor of the 
ashes. The stand on about one-third of all 
that part of the field not mulched and not top- 
dressed fiorn the barn-yard was frozen out. 
Conclusions as to how to grow the best 
winter wheat crop here in Michigan:—Sow 
about September 15, one bushel to the acre; 
drills 16 inches apart; top-dress from the barn¬ 
yard; mulch with wheat straw, buckwheat 
straw, potato-vines, marsh hay, etc. Rake 
off the mulch with a sulky horse-rake, about 
April 1; cultivate till the wheat is 10 inches 
high. With fair soil such treatment will 
bring from 30 to 40 bushels to the acre, as 
was proved in the experiment above given. 
THE PARKER EARLE STRAWBERRY. 
W. B., Dayton, Ohio.—B y to-day’s mail I 
send the Rural samples of berries which I 
bought for Barker Earle. Of late I have seen 
several notices of a berry which it is proposed 
to call Parker Earle. As there is already on 
the market a strawberry of that name, intro¬ 
duced several years ago by Mr. John T. Lov¬ 
ett, it seems to me undesirable to put another 
of the same name out, unless it is much super¬ 
ior to the one already introduced. My ber¬ 
ries are early, and those are not fair samples, 
as they are not half the size they generally 
attain, owing to a severe frost on May 23, 
when they were just in bloom. With me 
they are long in shape like Haverland, only 
not quite so pointed. When fully ripe they 
are a dark crimson, slightly acid in taste, aud 
very firm. The vine is more productive than 
the Sharpless; but not enough so to make it a 
good market berry. Under glass culture the 
productiveness, size and flavor are improved 
and from my tests 1 an; inclined to thiuk this 
the best berry for forcing that I know of 
The leaves are more distinct than those of any 
variety I kuow; though they look weak, they 
retain their color until frost. Their varie¬ 
gated look remains under all conditions. 
Does this description correspond with that of 
the Parker Earle known to the Rural? 
R. N.-Y.—The berry sent was named 
Parker Earle. It was tes'ed at the Rural 
Grounds before it was introduced,aud reported 
upon. It may be good for forcing, but it has 
no distinctive merits otherwise. It was 
therefore propo-ed to discard it. The new 
Parker Earle is not j et for sale. It originated 
with James Nimou of Denison, Texas, aud 
will be introduced by Prof. T. V. Munson, of 
the same place. It is one of the most prom¬ 
ising sorts ever tried by the R. N.-Y. 
AGAINST ARTIFICIAL COLORING OF BUTTER. 
W. F. B., Ann Arbor, Michigan —In the 
Rural of May 4th the editor seems to favor 
the coloring of butter and he appears to 
think the subject hardly merits discussion. 
His comparison of the matter to the blacking 
of boots or the painting of houses seems to me 
to be quite defective. Good looks are always 
becoming, and perfectly proper when not ob¬ 
tained at too great a cost. There is no other 
way to make a boot respectable except by 
blacking, or to make a house so except by 
painting. But then we have to eat neither the 
pc lisbed boots nor the painted house nor the 
blacking nor the paint. 
There is a much better way of making 
good-looking butter than by adding question¬ 
able ingredients to it ana it is a much more 
profitable way. It is to put the color into 
tne feed, by feeding sugar beets, carrots, pars 
nips or squash, notably the latter, with a 
ration of cornmeal and bran in addition to 
clover hay and corn fodder. By these means 
one can in winter make butter as sweet and 
attractive as in June. 
People who color butter will can fruit with 
poisonous acids, and we can never tell 
wbat we are eating. Why not eat 
oleomargarine and be done with it if it 
tastes aud looks like butter. But the 
most vital objection is a moral one. The aci 
is a fraud, although m a small way; it may 
easily lead to greater ones. Who knows but 
some of the scores of baok cashiers who have 
skipped to Canada took their first lessju in 
dishonesty at their mothers’ butter tubs? 
can “northern-grown” seeds be properly 
GROWN IN THE “MIDDLE STATES ?” 
“Anon,” Terre Haute, Ind.—I n the R. 
N.-Y., of May 25, a criticism is made on a 
statement made by the writer as to seedsmen 
selling for “Northern-grown seeds” those 
grown 200 miles farther south. The critic does 
not ca'ch my idea exactly. A seedsman, we 
will say, in Minnesota, advertises his seeds, 
including corn, as the best, because northern- 
grown, which means with him grown in Min¬ 
nesota. A farmer in the central part of Illi¬ 
nois or Indiana, thinking that seed corn from 
that latitude would be of benefit to him, or¬ 
ders some of it. But the corn had been 
bought in one of these lower States, possibly 
close by the residence of the one who orders. 
Is there anything wrong in that ? It seems a 
very plain case—the farmer has been deceiv¬ 
ed. He may get good seed, but owiug to the 
seedsman’s profit and the double freight, it 
ccstshim four times what it would have cost at 
home Admitting that northern-grown seeds 
are the best, there is a deception for probably 
half the seeds sold by seedsmen have been 
grown in a lower latitude, so that the advan¬ 
tage claimed by these northern seedsmen can¬ 
not be more than half true; half at least of 
their seeds being grown in the same latitude 
as those sold by all seedsmen in the Middle 
States and in a middle latitude. This is by 
tar too great an allowance. At any rate if 
they advertise northern-grown seeds they 
should not sell as such those grown throe or 
four degrees south of them. 
TWO POULTRY PUZZLES. 
S. C. M., Westfield, N. J.—I seta hen on 
IS eggs on April 3d. She was accidentally 
killed on the 8th, after having sat five days. 
I had doubts about the eggs hatching; but on 
th'ellth after they had remained cold three 
days, I put them under another hen. Nine 
hatched—but, what do you think ? Should 
they have “come off” 21 days from April 3d? 
You may think so, but they did not. They 
hatched out on April 27, instead of April 24. 
Does not this show that for 72 hours (April 8 
—11,) the life of those chicks was preserved 
without any growth? Odd, I thiuk. I have 
a hen that will leave the nest while sitting 
only once in 48 hours, and invariably she 
hatches her eggs in 19 days. The ordinary 
hen that is off once or twice a day, sits for 20 
or 21 days. 
R. N -Y. —This year we set a hen on Wyan¬ 
dotte eggs. She never seemed to act natural¬ 
ly, leaving her eggs frequently. They be- 
K. C. A., Aberdeen, Dak.— For ticks on 
