1889 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
671 
CATALOGUES, ETC., RECEIVED. 
T HE FARM ANI) THE DAIRY.—By 
Prof. J. P. Sheldon, published by 
George Bell & Sons, York Street, Covent 
Garden, London, England. Our readers 
know Prof. Sheldon. He is a careful, ob¬ 
serving man, who does not speculate or 
theorize, but writes from practical experi¬ 
ence. We may therefore safely expect to 
find in this little book a concise and inter¬ 
esting account of the dairy matters found 
useful on an English dairy farm. It is 
quite likely that the expert dairyman who 
has fully mastered the details of his busi¬ 
ness, may not be able to find anything very 
new in the book; still for the young dairy¬ 
men and particularly for the beginners, 
this volume will prove very valuable. The 
whole subject, from the selection of the 
farm to the sale of the product, is clearly 
described. 
Mississippi Stock Feeding.— Bulletin 
No. 10 from the Mississippi Station, ‘‘How 
to feed stock in the cheapest manner” is the 
problem discussed in this pamphlet. The 
cheapest method for Mississippi might not 
be the cheapest for Maine; still there are a 
good many farmers in both States who will 
indorse the first sentence in this pamphlet. 
“The silo system has practically solved this 
problem.” They use the common wooden 
silo in Mississippi and in addition they use 
a very primitive affair which is described as 
follows: 
“It was made by simply piling up the si¬ 
lage in as round and compact aheap as pos¬ 
sible and covering with dirt about 12 inches 
thick, dug from all around the base of the 
pile, the excavation acting as a drain. This 
cheap silo was built of “chicken corn.” It 
was cut October 10, just as the seeds were 
turning black or brown. The stalks were 
put in whole and piled straight. The heap 
was then dressed of! and smoothed up by 
setting the stalks on end and around it. 
About eight tons were put into the heap 
and the whole covered with earth. Then a 
thin layer of stalks was spread over the 
heap to shed water. It was opened January 
10th. As might be expected, for three or 
four inches down, it was discolored, but all 
below that was green and sweet. Cattle 
ate it readily and there was no trouble in 
getting them to eat that which was dis¬ 
colored. When the heap was opened, 10 or 
12 head of cattle that had never seen silage 
before happened to be near by and ate it 
greedily. 1 he chicken corn was cut with 
corn knives and carried to the heap. Put¬ 
ting on the covering of dirt was very little 
expense, as it could be thrown rapidly with 
a spade from the surrounding ground on 
to the pile. Seventy-five cents per ton 
covered all expenses of cutting, hauling, 
etc. ( are was taken to have no openings 
into the heap and no cavities in the pile, as 
the air should not come in contact with the 
silage. As the pile settled, the dirt adjust¬ 
ed itself.” 
llie other silos were made much like 
those already described in the Rural. The 
experiment brings out little that is new re¬ 
garding the making or feeding of the silage. 
Corn gives the best satisfaction, though 
sorghum gives the largest yield. Drilled 
corn yielded at the rate of about 12 tons per 
acre; while broadcasted corn yielded about 
lObj tons. Chicken corn (Sorghum vulgare) 
is considered a pest by many Southern 
farmers. It grows luxuriantly and is hard 
to kill out. In fact it has been regarded as 
a weed rather than a valuable plant. Seeds 
of the “ chicken corn ” were used at the 
Mississippi Station in a feeding test against 
ordinary corn. The test proved nothing, 
the only figures taken being the weights of 
working animals before and after a term 
of feeding. The animals fed on the 
" chicken corn ” lost a few pounds more 
than those raised on common corn. Anal¬ 
yses of the “chicken corn ” show that it 
contains more protein and less fat and car¬ 
bohydrates than common corn. Its surplus 
of protein should make it a superior grain 
for working animals. It may be that this 
neglected plant may prove more valuable 
than other plants now cultivated. 
Silos and Ensilage—Silage vs. Field 
Beets as Food for Cows.—Bulletin No. 10 
from the Ohio Station. There is hardly 
enough in this discussion of the ensilage 
question to warrant its publication. The 
agricultural papers have brought the 
matter to a point where a history of the 
process and quotations from the papers 
seem behind the age. It is safe to say that 
every farmer who will read this bulletin 
has already studied most of the facts in 
other publications. We are glad to see 
that horses were fed on silage. For two 
months the horses were given one feed of 
20 pounds per day, in the place of the usual 
amount of hay. The result was highly sat¬ 
isfactory in every way. 
The station has done an excellent thing 
in seeking to compare silage with mangels. 
The work seems to have been very carefully 
done. The following extract from the 
bulletin will be read with interest by the 
farmers who have grown roots for years 
and are now urged to try silage. 
We were able to produce 14 to 19 tons of 
ensilage corn per acre upon rich bottom 
land. On the same land we expect to raise 
about as many tons of roots. The corn 
probably yields a somewhat larger quantity 
of dry matter per acre than the beets, unless 
some way can be devised for utilizing the 
tops also of the root crop. There is some 
loss of the dry matter of the corn in the 
silo; we have not yet succeeded in inducing 
our stock to consume all silage given them, 
and our one experiment indicates that the 
dry matter of corn silage is somewhat less 
effective as a food for milk production than 
that of roots. So far, therefore, as we are 
able to judge at present, we can produce 
about the same quantity of potential cattle 
food from an acre of land in the form of 
corn silage as in that of roots. We are not 
yet sure, however, that the cost of produc¬ 
tion will be the same. Roots, as well as en¬ 
silage corn, are expensive crops to handle. 
Both require land that is either naturally 
very rich, or that has been artificially en¬ 
riched, in order to produce profitable crops. 
Our experience leads us to believe that roots 
will require relatively heavier manuring 
than corn, in order to maintain the yield. 
In other words, the root crop is an ex¬ 
tremely exhaustive one on the soil. In 
respect to the relative labor cost of the two 
crops, we are yet in doubt. By judicious 
management we believe that the labor cost 
of producing the root crop may be brought 
down nearly or quite to the cost of pro¬ 
ducing a corn crop for ensilage by the time 
all the necessary expenses of cultivation, 
harvesting and housing are counted, but 
we are not yet prepared to offer any demon¬ 
strated facts in support of our theory. 
The results of this experiment point to 
two conclusions, which we believe will be 
confirmed by further experiment. These 
are: 
1. The dry matter of com silage and of 
roots is at least equal in value to the dry 
matter of the better grades of stock feed in 
ordinary use when fed in properly adjusted 
rations. 
2. Corn silage is slightly superior to roots 
as a flesh or fat producer, and roots are 
slightly better than corn silage for milk 
production.” 
Experiments With Small Fruits. 
Early and Late Picking of Apples.— 
Bulletin No. 11 from the Ohio Station. The 
station reports on small fruits will be inter¬ 
esting to fruit-growers generally. They 
are quite complete. Quite an interesting 
experiment in picking apples at different 
dates is recorded. Five varieties of apples 
were used. One hundred apples of each 
variety were picked September 26, and Oc¬ 
tober 6, 18 and 20. Estimates were made 
as to the number of sound apples left 58, 
175 and also 256 days from picking. The 
conclusion reached is as follows: 
“ Early picking of apples improves their 
keeping qualities, but no difference is mani¬ 
fest for nearly six months after picking. If 
kept fora longer period than six months 
the early-picked apples show a decided gain 
over those picked late. The greater part 
of the loss in weight, caused by drying, oc¬ 
curs within six months after picking. The 
early picked apples lose slightly more in 
weight than those that are picket! late.” 
Sprayings with tiie arsenites.— This is 
the title of Bulletin, No. 53 of the Michigan 
Station. This is the substance of a paper 
read by Prof. A. J. Cook, at the late meet¬ 
ing of the Society for the promotion of 
Agricultural Science. Prof. C. finds that 
the arsenites can be used to protect against 
the plum curculio, but the difficulty is to 
keep the mixture on the tree. In case of 
frequent rains, the jarring method will 
be cheaper and more effective. He also 
thinks the time will come when we must 
plant plum trees in our apple orchards to 
protect the apples from the curculio. In 
such an arrangement, the apples will be 
sprayed to kill the coddling moth, while 
the plums will be sprayed or jarred as the 
season demands. In very rainy seasons, 
the jarring will be used. Prof. C. also 
refers to the danger incurred in spraying 
too early before the blossoms fall. Poisons 
will kill bees about as readily as they 
will kill curculio or coddling lame. Prof. 
C. would even suggest laws to prevent 
the killing of bees by spraying poisons be¬ 
fore the blossoms fall. As regards the in¬ 
jurious action of various poisons on 
foliage, Prof. C. concludes that London- 
purple is more injurious than Paris-green 
—a fact which the R. N.-Y. discovered 
eight years ago—while w hite arsenic is more 
harmful than either. Peach foliage he finds 
most susceptible to injury and cherry the 
least. It also appears that London-purple 
and white arsenic, used just before a rain, 
are more harmful than when used during a 
drought. On the peach, Paris-green only 
should be used and never stronger than one 
pound to 200 gallons of water. The injury 
done to the foliage is not usually shown 
until the second day and is frequently de¬ 
layed until the fifth or even the 10th day. 
Some experiments were made to determine 
the danger to stock in spraying the trees 
wdth the arsenites. A large tree with thick 
foliage was well sprayed. As soon as the 
dripping stopped, the grass under the tree 
was cut close to the ground, and carefully 
analyzed. The analysis revealed 2.2 grains 
of arsenic. A poisonous dose of this sub¬ 
stance is one grain for a dog, two for a 
man, 10 for a cow and 20 for a horse. Little 
danger there. Another tree was sprayed 
and the grass under it cut and fed to a 
horse without any injurious effect. 
Applying Fertilizers.— In the Georgia 
Crop Report for September the “School of 
Chemical Fertilizers” by Prof. George 
Ville is continued. This is a sample: 
“ Q. After plowing the soil to required 
depth, what is the best way of using chem¬ 
ical fertilizers? 
A. Harrow until a smooth surface is 
made; spread the fertilizer broad-cast and 
harrow until well mixed with the loose soil. 
One of the peculiar advantages the chemi¬ 
cal fertilizer has over the barnyard manure, 
is the use of it broadcast in earlv spring 
over cereals that have gone through a hard 
winter. Eighty-eight to 176 pounds of sul¬ 
phate of ammonia, or 132 to 176 pounds of 
nitrate of soda, mixed with 220 pounds of 
plaster, spread broad-cast in March, will 
show' a great change in wheat in two or 
three days—used in this way chemical fer¬ 
tilizers act like magic. But some pre¬ 
cautions must be observed. Later than the 
middle of March might be dangerous. 
Used in April or May, it makes extraordi¬ 
nary growth of straw, but the grain is mal¬ 
formed and inferior in quality. When the 
fall is wet and grain is sowed late from 
want of time, fertilizers can be used broad¬ 
cast after all the grain is well up. Barn¬ 
yard manure cannot be used in this wav.” 
The Disposal of the Dead.— This is 
the title of a paper read by Dr. John M. 
Peacocke of Brooklyn, before the Kings 
County Medical Society. It is now issued 
in pamphlet form. The R. N.-Y. has never 
before read so clear and intelligent a discus¬ 
sion of this important subject. From the 
earliest times the proper disposal of the 
dead has been regarded as a very important 
matter. Originally, the dead were laid in 
woods or in fact wherever they could be 
exposed to the elements or become a prey 
to wild beasts. As men began to multiply 
on the face of the earth these rude and in¬ 
human forms gave place to interment, em¬ 
balmment, entombment and incineration; 
and until within a recent date no new 
methods of caring for the dead have been 
proposed. In rural districts where land is 
plentiful, and it is not necessary to erect 
dwelling places or sink w r ells close to grave¬ 
yards, the ordinary burial or interment has 
always been regarded as the best method. 
In the large cities, however, the time has 
come w'hen such burials are no longer safe 
or desirable. Dr; Peacocke’s remarks ap¬ 
ply more particularly to the dead of New 
York and Brooklyn; but they may l>e ap¬ 
plied with equal truth to the dead of all 
large towns and cities. When we consider 
that only 96 years ago the population of 
New York city was only 35,000 souls and 
that paupers were actually buried in what 
is now' the City Hall Park, it is easy to 
realize that 50 years hence the present city 
cemeteries w'ill be found in the very center 
of a teeming population, which will be 
forced, in time, to build their dwellings 
upon the graves which can only be termed 
“ beds of pestilence.” 
But what is to take the place of inter¬ 
ment ? The time is evidently coming when 
it will be impossible to bury the dead with¬ 
in 15 miles of the center of population in 
New York or Brooklyn. What then ? Sci¬ 
entific men offer two methods: incineration 
or “cremation,” and desiccation or perfect 
drying of the remains. Before the Chris¬ 
tian era, cremation was in quite general 
use. As Christianity spread, cremation be¬ 
came gradually obsolete and the dead were 
“consigned to the slow and loathsome 
process of putrefactiou in the grave or 
tomb.” Cremation was not revived until 
1868, when the subject was introduced at the 
International Medical Congress at Florence 
as a sanitary measure of great importance. 
Europe has now 24 crematories, while there 
are 10 in this country. The chief impedi¬ 
ment that obstructs the advance of crema¬ 
tion is the sentimental objection. There is 
something horrible to the minds of many 
in the thought that the remains of our 
dear ones are to be burned. On this point 
Dr. Peacocke quotes Prof. Groes as follows: 
“ If people could see the human body aft¬ 
er the process of decomposition sets in, they 
would not. want to be buried, they would 
be in favor of cremation, and would look 
upon burning the human body as a beauti¬ 
ful act in comparison with burying it. 
There is something eminently repulsive to 
me about the idea of lying a few Sect under 
the ground for a century or perhaps two 
centuries, going through the process of de¬ 
composition.” 
As to the best method of disposing of the 
dead, we are told that in Peru animals that 
drop by the wayside will be found at the 
end of months entire, not corrupted, but 
dried. The writer lias noticed something 
of this sort on the plains of Colorado and 
Wyoming. The dry, pure air of these re¬ 
gions drives the greater part of the moist¬ 
ure of the body away while the form is re¬ 
tained, in a dried and shrunken form it is 
true, but still retained. Now “desiccation ” 
is but the providing, by artificial means, 
of the conditions that go to preserve bodies 
in these dry countries. As it seems very 
evident that before many years “ desicca¬ 
tion ” will be advocated as a means of re¬ 
lieving our city church-yards, the R. N.-Y. 
gives Dr. Peacocke’s account of the pro¬ 
cess as now conducted. 
‘ * The corpse is placed in a chamber con¬ 
structed with pipes so arranged as to bring 
fresh, dry air into them and conduct it 
through the casket, and by forced draughts 
through a central furnace, where all the 
gases and fluids taken from the body are 
consumed. The air-current is sufficiently 
rapid to make an entire change in the space 
every two seconds. When desiccation be¬ 
gins, the chamber containing the body is 
hermetically sealed, except as respects the 
inlet and outlet passages for air, which are 
closed when the process is completed. The 
desiccating method has for its basis the 
fact that in all animal tissue water is 
present in greater or less proportion, form¬ 
ing about two-thirds of the weight of the 
whole body. A man weighing 165 pounds, 
if completely dried, would therefore lose 
about 110 pounds from the evaporation of 
water. An opportunity was lately afforded 
me of inspecting and examining the body 
of a man undergoing the process of desic¬ 
cation. The remaius lay in a glass-covered 
metallic case, having been placed therein 
about nine months ago, and at that time 
weighed 160 or 170 pounds. Judging by 
the dried-up appearance of the body, I pre¬ 
sume that to-day it does not weigh over 60 
pounds. The muscles of the trunk, and es¬ 
pecially of the extremities, are shrunken 
and hard. The integument is dry and feels 
leathery to the touch. The countenance 
looks natural. There is no discoloration of 
the cuticle and no evidence of any decom¬ 
position. A current of ordinary air is ad¬ 
mitted to the casket at one end, it freely 
circulates around the bo< y, and escapes 
through a tube, placed at the other end, in¬ 
to a chimny or furnace through which all 
the volatile products pass before mingling 
with the atmosphere.” 
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