RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Canada. 
St. Henry of Montreal August 2.— Pota¬ 
toes in this section have all been stricken with 
blight and are rotting badly. The last to suc¬ 
cumb was the R. N.-Y. No. 2. They had a 
very fine appearance with s'alks one inch in 
diameter near the ground. The tubers are 
large. The potato beetle has been very 
troublesome this season, the rain washing off 
the green shortly after it was applied. Apples 
are a light crop and badly spotted. The only 
kinds that are free from spots are the Duchess 
of Oldenburg, Yellow Transparent, Golden 
Russian White, Wealthy and American Golden 
Russet. I have tried spraying the trees with 
flowers of sulphur and also have tried burning 
the stuff amongst the trees; but it happened 
to be in seasons when the apples did not spot 
any wnere. Seasons that are too cold and 
wet to produce corn and tomatoes will tend to 
cause the spots on apples. One year out of 300 
barrels of apples I had only 10 free from 
spots. Themxt year it was hard to And any 
that were affected in this way. Altogether it is 
a blue outlook for the farmers—potatoes rot¬ 
ting, oats rusting, no wheat, and weather too 
wet to save the hay. We will have to econo¬ 
mize to make both ends meet. b. b. 
Delaware. 
Dover, Kent County, July 27.—This has 
been one of the most trying seasons for farm¬ 
ers in years. The usual pressure of work 
through our working season has been lately 
increased by the extraordinary wet season 
and otherwise unfavorable weather. I think 
that it has been too wet to work our crops at 
least one-third of the time since planting, 
and the effect of the wet season will be felt 
for the next year. Delaware has a vast 
amount of low land that in a season like the 
present wilt scarcely return the seed. In rid¬ 
ing through the country one sees hundreds of 
acres of corn that will not yield five bushels 
to the acre. Although corn on high land will 
make a crop, the State will produce little, if 
any, more than will be required for home use. 
The hay crop was good, but a great amount 
was damaged more or less in curing. Early 
potatoes are a good crop. In a few small sec¬ 
tions there will be a full crop. The peach 
crop will be very light; many large orchards 
that would have been good for thousands of 
bushels uuder favorable conditions will have 
scarcely more than enough to supply their 
owners. Pears promise well, although 
troubled some with blight. Apples are not 
very plentiful, with a good home market for 
the same. Early truck is about gone. Sweet 
corn and early tomatoes are in the market. 
The shipment of blackberries has been very 
heavy. Wheat was a fair crop, but much of 
it has been damaged, as since harvested the 
weather has never been dry enough to per¬ 
mit thrashing for over two days at a time. 
Usually wheat is all thrashed before this. 
The machines have been out four weeks with 
an average of three days’ work a week, and 
machine-men are about ready to quit in dis¬ 
gust. The present indication is that the bulk 
of the wheat will go on the market in poor con¬ 
dition. That marketed at present, brings 
from 60 to 80 cents per bushel. Pasture is 
usually good, but stock are losing flesh as the 
flies are unusually bad. The rose-bug de¬ 
stroyed nearly all the grapes. Farmers are 
plowing for wheat. The tomato crop prom¬ 
ises to be good aud the factories will start 
about the middle of August. Corn 40 cents; 
wheat, 60 to 80 cents; oats, 30 cents; potatoes 
new 40 cents; butter, 20 cents; eggs, 15 cents; 
apples 40 cents. a. g. s. 
McwIIaiiipshire. 
Milford, Hillsborough County, August 5. 
—I see by the Rural that the country at 
large is well watered. Wo have had so much 
rain that haying has been very uncomfort¬ 
able so far; but most farmers have nearly 
douo on high ground; but there are acres of 
low ground that have not been cut, aud if this 
weather continues the hay there will have to 
be abandoned. The oat crop about here is a 
total loss, as oats cut 10 days ago are flat on 
the ground; those cut earlier for fodder lay 
flat 12 days, but have not been hurt so badly 
that they cannot be used. One neighbor who 
sowed 30 bushels for fodder rather late, has 
not cut the oats as yet, aud they are lodged 
badly, and I would not cut thernif he would 
give them to me. 
Potatoes are rotting somewhat and some 
pieces emit a very unpleasant odor. The Ru¬ 
ral No. 2 is looking nice so far, but I noticed 
to-day r that the plants were covered with the 
old beetles. 1 should say there were 200 of 
them on four hills; there are none to speak of 
on other kinds. Lima beans are white with 
bloom; they never looked so well. Golden 
Wax are spotted so badly that they are unfit 
for use. White pea beans are spotting now, 
but other crops are flourishing, especially 
vines of all kinds, and corn. The second crop 
of clover is ready to cut; so is millet, but the 
weather is too wet to dry it. p. c. 
Dover, Stafford County.— Potatoes. —This 
has been the hardest season for farmers that 
we have seen for a long time. The weather 
interfered with planting and hoeing. Pota¬ 
toes were, however, looking well, with the 
promise of a good crop; but now it loo^s as 
though the yield would be poor and small. 
Two weeks ago, the tops were green, but the 
wet and muggy weather has rotted them. 
Now they are nearly all dead and the odor 
that rises from potato fields is sickening. 
There will be a fair crop on some early pieces, 
but they are rotting and store-keepers will buy 
only a few at a time. For a number of years 
I raised some Early Rose Potatoes which I 
dug the 7th of July, averaging a bushel of 
handsome, marketable tubers to 12 hills. I 
thought I was going to equal that yield this 
year, but the weather has beaten me. My R. 
N.-Y. No. 2 was planted later. One good 
sprout came from it and I planted it whole. 
The tops had gone like those of the others, 
and so I dug them to-day, for fear 
they would rot. I got four handsome tubers 
which weighed two pounds and thirteen 
ounces. One of them weighed seventeen 
ounces. For three or four years past I have 
raised Clark’s No. 1, and like them better than 
any others, as they cook and keep better than 
others. On the 20th of July we cooked some 
of the old ones and they were as good as 
when they were dug. White Elephant yields 
better, but rots badly. 
Hay. —There was a good crop of grass, but 
most of the hay will be poor. Many of the 
farmers do not begin haying soon enough; 
but will wait until after the Fourth of July 
any way. A few who began when grass was 
ready to be cut got most of the hay in pretty 
good shape; while many have now not done 
half the work. At present a great deal of hay 
that has been cut more than a week, is out 
on the fields, and the grass has started 
around the bunches so that it makes 
quite a show. When will farmers learn to be¬ 
gin haying earlier, and that six men are worth 
more in one good bay day, than one man in 
six days? Corn is looking pretty well, but it 
is backward. Oats were good on high ground; 
but not so good on low. 
Strawberries did not do well with us this 
year. It was so dry last year that the 
plants did not run very much. They 
have run well this year, so next year we 
shall be able to have a full ration, (which will 
be as large as Fred Grundy’s or larger) 
ana some to spare. Other berries and Red 
Astrachan Apples are plentiful now. Good 
fruit, good air and plenty of work can be had 
on a farm—and what else do we need ? 
Corn Fodder —For cutting fodder corn, 
take a light cleaver and you will like it. 
When the fodder is long, when you get it to 
the barn, cut it three or four times with a 
broad axe. The cows can eat it better 
w. E. R. 
New Jersey. 
Trenton, Mercer County, A ugust 5 —As 
the wet weather seems to be quite general, I 
suppose I will tell you nothing new when I 
say it has been very wet here. Eight out of 
10 days have been stormy, the rain much of 
the time pouring down. During Saturday 
the 3d the raiofall was especially heavy, ac¬ 
companied with much lightning and heavy 
thunder. July also was an unusually rainy 
month. The rainfall amounted to nine and 
eighty-six one-hundredths inches. The aver¬ 
age monthly rainfall is about four inches. On 
15 days during the month there was ram, and 
nine days wore cloudy. The effect of so much 
wet weather and the absence of much sun¬ 
shine are seriously injurious to all agricultur¬ 
al interests. Work of all kinds on the farm is 
almost at a staud-still. Crops, such as oats aud 
hay, are unharvested aud in the more norther¬ 
ly sections of the State they are ruined. 
Corn is bent, and a full yield is uow out of 
the question. I do not believe the State will 
average 50 per cent, of a full crop. Though 
the hay crop was good, much of it was poor¬ 
ly secured. Some—m many cases most of it— 
was stacked out. This, owing to the continu¬ 
ous wet weather must become seriously injur¬ 
ed. Wheat is far from being a full crop. 
As to potatoes, I have made quite an ex¬ 
tended trip amongst some of our largest pota¬ 
to growers in the vicinity of Freehold, Mon¬ 
mouth County, and found whole fields in 
which there were only exceptional spots free 
from the advancing ruin. Tue vines have 
blighted witniu a vtry few days as though a 
fire had run through them. Varieties almost 
ready to dig were not more affected than 
later sorts that were but half grown. They all 
show the blighting influence of some general 
“epidemic.” One or two of the newest va¬ 
rieties, it is hoped, may escape the rot, though 
it is hardly likely. The prospect for over¬ 
production is not flattering. Tomatoes can¬ 
not set and melons will be a failure. Peaches, 
where there are any, will crack and rot. Of 
course, all these adverse circumstances cause 
loss and discouragement to the farming com¬ 
munity. But others are also feeling the ef¬ 
fects of this condition of the weather. Labor¬ 
ing men, carpenters, and masons especially, 
are losing much time. The building boom 
which has been going on in this city for the 
last few years, still continues. It is remark¬ 
able. But, while houses by the score in every 
part of the city have been begun, their com¬ 
pletion has been very much retarded by the 
continuous rains. Mechanics come with their 
dinner pails to put in a day’s work, only to 
return after an hour or two without having 
done a stroke. Unless they can make time, 
they must live more economically, and this 
means a more limited market for farm-prod¬ 
uce as well as for other things. If the old 
adage “ The first three days rule the month,” 
prove correct, we may expect August to be 
wet; but we hope for the best. Meanwhile 
let us take good care of what we have; 
guard against wastes; improve the time and 
the mind, and we will pull through, f. d. 
New York. 
Forestville, Chautauqua County, August 
1.—Haying has come and gone. A finer season 
for cutting and curing hay was never known, 
it being cool and sunny—good weather for 
both hay and workmen. The quality of that 
cut has been fine and the quantity larger than 
was anticipated at the time of the big frost 
in May. Oats are the largest and best of the 
kind ever grown in this section. The stand 
of corn is poor. Potatoes are looking fine and 
promise to be a large crop here. Barley is 
about half a crop. It is too wet for it this 
season. Apples are a total failure and other 
fruits are found only in small quantities. 
Nearly all kinds of farm produce are selling 
low: butter sells at 13 to 15 cents per pound, 
while cheese brings eight to nine cents per 
pound; eggs 13 cents per dozen; hay and 
straw on the decline. Business slow and dull. 
c. H. F. 
South Byron, Genesee County.—We have 
had an abundance of rain. Wheat, barley 
and hay are excellent and harvested in good 
condition with the exception of a part of the 
last. The apple crop is very light. There is 
a partial crop of pears in some localities. Pp- 
tatoes are generally poor, with occasionally a 
good field. Oats a heavy growth where not 
too wet; but not yet harvested. L D. c. 
North Carolina. 
McKee, Davidson County, July 30. —We 
are having an excess of rain. Wheat about 
like last year; corn on low land almost ruined 
by high water, but on high land better. Fruit 
an abundant crop, but peaches are rotting on 
the trees as fast as they get ripe. G. w. B. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS 
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asking a question, please 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.) 
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES : SHEEP HUS¬ 
BANDRY. 
E. H. C., Oberlin, Ohio. —1. "Which is the 
best agricultural college in the East and which 
in the West? 2. Would it be advisable for a 
man 33 years old to take a college course? 3. 
Where could I learn sheep husbandry to the 
best advantage? 4. What State is best adapted 
to the business! 
Ans.— 1. In the East, Massachusetts, at Am¬ 
herst, Mass., or Cornell, Ithaca, N.Y. At the 
first-named place you can probably get a more 
satisfactory general course, while at Cornell 
you can doubtless find better facilities for 
special instruction. There are fewer students 
at Cornell, consequently better chances to ob¬ 
tain special work on the farm or personal 
instruction from the professors. In the West, 
Michigan, Iowa or Kansas. 2. There are 
many studies in the agricultural college 
•eurse that are intended for younger men or 
boys. A man of your age probably would 
not want to go through the mathematics, 
544 
rhetoricals, etc., etc., that might be more use¬ 
ful to a boy. The chemistry, botany, ento¬ 
mology, physiology and physics would help 
you in the study of practical agriculture. 
The R. N.-Y, on the whole, believes 
it would pay you best to go to a college 
like Cornell or Wisconsin, where, with men 
like Prof. I. P. Roberts or Prof. W. A. Henry, 
a special course could be taken. We firmly 
believe that a man 50 years old can learn 
something at these colleges if he goes to them 
prepared to learn. 3. The best way to learn 
the principles of sheep husbandry is to hire 
out to some good sheep-breeder, and study 
and work at the same time. It must be re¬ 
membered. however, that a life-time is all too 
short in which to learn all there is to know 
about sheep. 4. This will depend upon the 
class of sheep you wish to raise. For mutton 
or early lambs it pays to get near a large city 
where the markets can be easily looked over 
and advantage taken of a low price for buy¬ 
ing or a high price for selling. If you want 
to raise wool you should search for cheap 
lands with good pasture and water supply. 
At present we should say that Montana of¬ 
fers the best opening. A year spent as a 
sheep herder on a Montana ranch before you 
start for yourself, will be invaluable. 
Miscellaneous. 
J. W. N., Stowe, Vt .—What is the address 
of the American Dairyman, and the Dairy 
World ? 
Ans. —The American Dairyman, New York 
City, and the Dairy World, Chicago, Ill. 
D. J. P., Sherburne, N. Y .—How can I get 
rid ot live-for-ever ? 
Ans. —We should be glad to learn from our 
readers as to the most economical way of ex- 
Silo Chute Fig. 206. Page 543. 
terminating this pest. There is said to be a 
contagious disease affecting this plant which, 
when introduced, spreads and destroys it 
rapidly. 
C. F., Fort Wayne, Ind .—Is there any work 
on frog culture ? How are frogs grown for 
market? 
Ans. —We do not know of any such book. 
Frogs’ legs find ready sale in New York. The 
price paid now is 25 cents per pound. The 
Rural hopes to prepare an article on this 
subject. From investigations made thus far, 
It appears that all efforts to breed and raise 
frogs as a business have failed. The trogs 
that come here are mostly caught in ponds 
and rivers in the northern part of N. Y. 
State. 
*4. A. O., Northville, Tenn.—l. Should 
young apple trees that are eaten by locusts be 
cut back? 2. Which is the earliest straw¬ 
berry ? 3. What is a description of, the Au¬ 
gust Giant Grape? 
Ans. —1. It depends upon the amount of in¬ 
jury sustained. The wood covered by new 
bark will not necessarily become decayed. It 
will be protected from rot by the bark in a 
measure. 2. We can’t say which is the earli¬ 
est. Monmouth, Crescent, Crystal City, May 
King are among the earliest. Crystal City 
has little merit beyond its earliness. Parry 
begins to ripen very early. 3. The R. N.-Y. 
has never raised this grape. It is said to be a 
cross between Marion and Black Hamburg. 
Bunches large, berries large, oblong; pulp 
tender with the Hamburg flavor. Leaf strong 
and thick. Vine hardy. The R. N.-Y. has 
beard few favorable reports about it. 
DISCUSSION. 
WILL AMERICAN SUGAR PAY? 
A Kansas Farmer.— Inclosed find clippings 
from the Kansas City Journal which makes 
some pertinent inquiries about the sorghum 
business. More than a year ago I gave the 
Rural my views about this matter, aud they 
have undergone no change. The scheme has 
