738 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
NOV 9 
County, Michigan, sent us the photograph, 
a copy of which is shown at Figure 270. 
Three or four years ago, Mr. Anderson and 
11 of his neighbors formed a company and 
bought a $600 tlmashing machine direct 
from the makers. The agency fees saved 
by this transaction amounted to $90. This 
practical form of co-operation has been suc¬ 
cessfully carried out. The members of the 
company pay enough for their thrashing to 
cover the expenses of running the machine 
and any possible breakage. Two cents per 
bushel for fine grain and one cent for 
coarse have paid all expenses thus far. Our 
picture shows the machine and the mem¬ 
bers of the company at w r ork. We fre¬ 
quently hear of plans for co-operation 
among farmers. Here we have an instance 
of the success of such a plan. Who doubts 
that this company does improve the 
social and neighborly feeling of the commu¬ 
nity as well as the business affairs of the 
farmers. Blessed is the farming community 
where such combinations are possible. 
<ri)C IHimjnrt’. 
A NEW METHOD OF GRAFTING. 
I INCLOSE a sketch—see Figure 269—of 
the w r ay in which Mr. John Cretors of Leav¬ 
enworth, Kansas, grafts the grape very 
successfully, commencing not earlier than 
June 22, on stocks half to three-quarters of 
an inch in diameter. A slit is cut upwards 
Fig. 269. 
and a similar one downwards in the stock at 
any convenient hight above the ground, 
and the graft is cut with a bow-like bend 
which keeps it tightly in place. The grafts 
are tied with rubber bands a quarter to 
three-eighths of an inch wide pretty tight¬ 
ly or they are wrapped tightly with tin-foil 
cut in strips half an inch wide rubbed down 
closely as the wrapping proceeds, then over 
the foil they are wrapped tightly with soft 
cotton wrapping yarn ; then the stock be¬ 
tween the ends of the graft is tied tightly 
with hard cord. C. w. K. 
Los Gatos, California. 
Burnt topics. 
ON A 
u sun n or i! uiS; 
MOST OF IT IN SOUS OIKS I 
GAN A CITY BAN DO IT? 
As the R. N.-Y. stated two weeks ago, 
the following letter was recently received 
from a man in this city : 
“ I own a farm of 12 acres, 20 miles out on 
Long Island. It is average Island land 
with a small house, etc. Eight acres are 
Scrub Oak and hazel brush; four are 
cleared. My family consists of a wife, a 
father and a mother-in law (too old to work) 
and three children two to nine years old. 
I am a real estate broker. At the end of 
the year in the city I am usually $100 in 
debt for living expenses, though I work like 
a slave as most “curb-stone” real estate 
agents do—to say nothing of the mental 
strain of getting food and rent for a family. 
Now does the R. N.-Y. or its readers who 
are practical farmers think that I could 
make a living on my 12 acres by working it 
myself ? When young, I had three years’ 
experience on a Western farm. I worked 40 
acres of corn all by myself having no help 
except at topping and husking time and 
the yield was 85 bushels to the acre. But 
this was in the West where hand-hoeing 
was deemed almost a disgrace. What 
means would the R. N. -Y. recommend as 
the most economical for clearing those 
eight acres of Scrub Oak and hazel brush ? 
What crops would be best to give the quick¬ 
est returns, my cash capital to get utensils 
etc. being, say, $300 ? Would poultry rais¬ 
ing for eggs or market be advisable ?” 
The R. N.-Y. always hesitates to give ad¬ 
vice in such a case, because it knows that 
there is no general rule that can be given. 
A complete change of business is always a 
serious matter. Nothing could be more 
abrupt than a change such as our friend 
proposes. The whole thing will depend 
upon the man, and in this case, his family. 
In any event “ a living ” can only be se¬ 
cured by practicing the strictest economy, 
by most hearty co-operation indoors and 
out, and by the most constant labor and 
observation. This letter has been referred 
to some farmers on Long Island, who have 
for years studied the conditions of farm life 
there. Their replies are not encouraging, 
but the R. N.-Y. cannot help feeling that 
they are far more sensible than those some¬ 
times given by persons who view country 
life from a distance. The R. N.-Y. will be 
glad to hear from others regarding this 
matter. It is particularly anxious to learn 
if the same conditions prevail in the vicin¬ 
ity of other large cities. Since the above 
was written the letter from W. D. Pyles 
has been received. This puts a new face on 
the matter. It must be remembered that 
Mr. P. lives in a section where the climate 
and natural conditions are all more favor¬ 
able than the would-be Long Island farmer 
will find them. We shall be glad to hear 
from others who have gone from the city to 
the country. 
FROM O. A. F. 
I can see no way by which this correspon¬ 
dent can make his farm of four acres of 
cleared land and eight acres of Scrub Oaks 
of any practical value to him except for a 
home. He says there is a house on the 
place and that he can raise $300 in cash. A 
farm of that size would not require stock, 
except one horse, and he would have to con¬ 
fine himself to market gardening. But he 
must have experience first, or very closely 
watch a neighbor “whom he knows to be 
successful.” It would be better still to 
work for him a year at $15 per month 
“going wages,” and learn the business. 
He will make more money by the latter 
method. Shrewd, experienced farmers are 
obliged to figure very closely to make their 
farms support them, and in the majority of 
cases he will find that the young farmers 
who are not well forehanded depend on 
outside work to help them pay their fer¬ 
tilizer bills. A man who is willing to fill 
in his spare time with team work, such as 
mowing, trucking, etc., can generally find 
plenty of work. I should judge that it 
takes as much intelligence and experience 
to manage a farm successfully as it does to 
manage a ship successfully, from the fact 
that the best farmers dropped corn and the 
best captains were cabin boys. No amount 
of explanation would tell a person as much 
about farming as one month on the farm, 
or as much about the water as one month 
before the mast. 
Promised Land, N. Y. 
FROM A LONG ISLAND FARMER. 
In reply to the inquiry as to whether a 
man can make a living on a 12-acre farm 
within 20 miles of New York City, I should 
say it would depend to a great extent upon 
the man and his family. Tens of thou¬ 
sands of men are living on such farms or 
garden spots and supporting large families; 
but these men are living and working in a 
way in which no American would care to 
live and work. They work all day in the 
fields and spend the night on market wag¬ 
ons driving to the city or waiting about 
the market. For them there is no rest dur¬ 
ing the busy season ; no Sabbath or holiday 
is recognized. Life is one eternal routine 
of work and struggle. But the man is not 
the only slave ; his wife and children work 
with him. It is a common thing to see a 
whole family working together in a field 
on a Sunday or holiday ; during weekdays 
they seem to be at work about all the time, 
even using lanterns to get the produce 
ready, after it is too late to work in the 
field. The houses of these people are of the 
plainest description, and their interiors are 
utterly devoid of any ornament or evidence 
of luxury. They know and care little 
about education, and as a rule take no ag¬ 
ricultural paper. Their food is of the 
coarsest description. It is safe to say that 
by far the larger proportion of these farm¬ 
ers (?) or gardeners do not speak the Eng¬ 
lish language. Living as these people do, 
they can afford to sell their produce at the 
very low price which it usually brings in 
the New York market and still have a mar¬ 
gin of profit ; indeed many of them have 
saved up large sums of money and have 
gradually enlarged and improved their 
lands until they have become relatively in¬ 
dependent. Now I take it the inquiry 
comes from an American who is accustom¬ 
ed to live as Americans do. The very na¬ 
ture of the inquiry shows that the man feels 
the necessity of “supporting his family.” 
This I should say, without any hesitation, 
would be an impossibility on a farm or gar¬ 
den of the size mentioned. I should say 
the net result of a man’s or a woman’s 
labor—for women earn almost as much as 
men—would not be over one dollar per day. 
This would not begin to support a family. 
Pearsalls, N. Y. 
FROM DAVID CARLL. 
After 40 years’ experience in farming on 
Long Island I cannot conceive any way by 
which a man could make a comfortable, or 
even a decent living for himself and family 
on such a place as is described. If he could 
work for some of his neighbors or do some¬ 
thing by which he could earn money in ad¬ 
dition to what he could get off his place, he 
might “ make it go,” not otherwise in my 
opinion. I presume a man in such circum¬ 
stances could as economically clear up the 
Scrub Oaks with sheep as in any other 
way. 
Deer Park, L. I. 
FROM H. A. BROWN. 
I think it about impossible for any city 
man to support a family of seven on four 
acres of cleared land and eight of uncleared. 
It is possible to do so if the man and his 
father are able-bodied and willing to get 
right down to hard work and close econo¬ 
my, and can dig the stumps and clear the 
land all up themselves, provided the land 
is fair, loamy soil, and there are reasonably 
good market facilities. It must be remem¬ 
bered that we have to compete with the 
fast-developing South, with its early pro¬ 
ductions; with the boundless West, with 
its ever-increasing products and lowering 
prices. I honestly and conscientiously be¬ 
lieve Long Island to be one of the most 
healthful and pleasant places on the con¬ 
tinent ; but there are only three classes that 
can live successfully on the middle portion 
of the island, viz., the rich, the practical 
Eastern farmer, and the very frugal, hard¬ 
working poor man, who will live within 
his income be it ever so small. I believe 
the cheapest way to clear up scrub land is 
to dig the scrubs by hand with a mattock. 
It costs, if hired, from $16 to $30 per acre to 
stub them. I hardly think more is neces¬ 
sary ; but if this man tries farming let him 
practice after the best farmers near him, or 
the best of the class who produce what he 
wishes to grow. I have given a poor Ger¬ 
man good advice and he is doing well, 
though he had but $1 when he and his wife 
came here. 
Wyandance. 
FROM W. D. PYLES. 
On page 680 a man wishes to know if he 
can make a living on 12 acres of land on 
Long Island ; I do not live on Long Island 
but will give a little of my experience. I 
worked for my father on a farm till I was 
20 years old ; then I worked in Washington 
City for five years, saving in the mean time 
$700 and also fracturing my ankle joint so 
as to render me unable to perform much 
work that requires a good deal of walking, 
such as plowing, etc. I went eight miles 
from Washington, D. C., and bought 15 
acres of poor land, paying $1,200 for it— 
part cash and the rest in yearly install¬ 
ments. That was in ’81. There were no 
buildings of any account. I first bought a 
pair of horses and one two-horse bed wagon 
for hauling manure from Washington. I 
bought strawberry and raspberry plants 
and set them out and began a fruit and 
vegetable garden for market. I have the 
farm paid for and have bought another of 
15 acres, and another of nine acres, and all 
are paid for. I own three fine horses 
weighing 1,050 to 1,250 pounds each, three 
head of cattle and raise hogs enough to 
furnish me with lard and meat each year. 
I have built a fine dwelling, as well as a 
bank-barn, a wagon-shed, a corn-house, a 
blacksmith shop, etc., costing between 
$2,500 and $3,000 all paid for. Like friend 
Terry I am a specialist. Strawberries, 
sweet-potatoes and grass ,are my special 
crops. But, unlike him, in regard to butter 
and milk, I have my own Jersey cow and 
make my own butter and get my milk 
pure. I raise all the vegetables my family 
use, so I have a comparatively small bill at 
the grocery store. I keep my sweet pota¬ 
toes till the price rises in winter, sometimes 
as late as April the following year. I’ve 
made all I own except $700, since 1884. I 
lost money the first two years, and came 
out even the third. I began to gain in the 
fourth and am still ahead. 
I hire one man by the year and pay him 
$15, furnishing him a house and fire-wood 
and vegetables from the garden. He 
boards himself except breakfast which I 
give him so as to have him come earlier in 
the morning. I have a house for a tenant 
on one of my farms, in which my man and 
his family live. His family pick berries, 
etc., which helps him along. I hired my 
first man in ’81. He stayed with me for 
seven years. Next year will make the 
second for the present man. I treat my 
help well and he satisfies me in return. I 
often let him have a horse and wagon to 
carry his family to church, camp meeting, 
etc. If the Long Island correspondent is 
an economical man I don’t see why he can¬ 
not do well on his 12 acres. My land has 
improved till most of it is worth $100 per 
acre, while I can buy plenty of land near me 
for $10 to $20 per acre, so I am improving 
my farm and living as well. There are 
plenty of men who owned farms when I 
came here who predicted that I’d stay only 
two years and “ bust; • ’ but I am here yet 
and away ahead of them. Most of them 
come to me for advice now instead of ridi¬ 
culing me as they did at first. 
Prince George County, Md. 
THE Q01LIT1 Of BUTTER 
As Affected by Different Grains. 
WHAT DAIRYMEN SAY. 
Some months ago Mr. Henry Stewart 
wrote the following for the R. N.-Y.: 
“ In my careful and long-continued ex¬ 
periments I have found that foods affect 
butter in the manner following : 
Buckwheat bran—white, crumbly butter. 
Linseed-oil meal—soft, oily, fiat-flavored. 
Bran and middlings, both wheat and rye 
—light, rather soft. 
Corn-meal—firm, yellow, high-flavored. 
Cotton-seed-meal—hard, rich-flavored and 
yellow. 
Oats—light, crumbly, poor-flavored. 
Peas—yellow, rich, soft.” 
A number of dairymen have been asked 
to tell us how far this statement coincides 
with their own experience. It seems evi¬ 
dent that there ia room for a good deal of 
experimenting with these foods. How do 
some of our dairymen know that they are 
feeding the most economical butter ration ? 
FROM J. W. NEWTON. 
So far as my experience goes, Henry 
Stewart is right in his estimates of the 
effect of grain feeds on the quality of 
butter; but I think that hay (or its equiv¬ 
alent) as part of the ration lias even a more 
marked effect than grain. In other words, 
a good hay feed combined with a poor 
grain feed will make a better quality of 
butter than a good grain feed combined 
with poor hay. More prominence should 
be given to the quality of the butter re¬ 
sulting from different feeds than to the 
