1 889 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
821 
FROM R. S. CHAPIN. 
1. I attended the institute at Canandai¬ 
gua, and in some respects was well pleased, 
and for younger members I presume atten¬ 
dance was a profitable investment. 2. I 
should think farming interests are more 
vitally affected by interest on debts and 
mortgages and taxes than by all other 
things combined. Certain it is that agri¬ 
culture can never prosper and pay nine- 
tenths of the taxes while the government 
is loaning its millions to the banks free of 
interest. I think that there must be a 
radical change, or farming in the older 
States is doomed. There was nothing in 
particular in the institute, that I took ex¬ 
ception to as far as it went, but it did not 
reach questions of the highest importance, 
in my estimation. I think money should 
be loaned on at least one-half the assessed 
value of good farming property at as low a 
rate of interest as hanks pay for it. 
Ontario County. 
FROM E. W. STANCLIFF. 
1. I attended both the county and State 
institutes and think it profitable to attend. 
2. I was interested in silos and silage* 
growing crops for fodder and handling 
milk for butter and cheese, growing and 
digging potatoes, etc. 3. I have no criti¬ 
cism to make on what Secretary Wood¬ 
ward said, but our farmers tell too large 
yarns. 
To explain a little about those yarns: 
Last week I examined a neighbor’s silage 
(his silo was only one thickness of hemlock 
plank matched together) and the silage (he 
was feeding off one-half of it) was rotten 
for six to 12 inches all around next to 
the planking. Now we were at our county 
institute last Saturday and he told the peo¬ 
ple in the meeting how he had put up his 
corn and that it was sweet silage and the 
stock liked it. We saw it before his cows left 
it and men with me called it poor stuff. 
Erie County, N. Y. 
FROM R. L. COOLEY. 
1. I can answer emphatically, yes. 2. 
Profitable dairying, the caring for stock, 
the combining of cattle foods so as to make 
or form perfect rations, also the construc¬ 
tion and uses of silos and the growing of 
various forage plants. 3. I have no criti¬ 
cisms to make except that more attention 
should be given to the subject of bogus 
products, especially butter and cheese and 
the adulteration of foods. 
Niagara County, N. Y. 
FROM HIRAM GREGORY. 
I attended the farmers’ institute held at 
Lockport last January. 1. I think I did. 
2. Fruit in all its departments. Of course, 
it is interesting to listen to discussions on 
dairying, bee-keepiug, stock-raising, etc., 
but fruit growing is my special subject of 
interest. 3. I choose to criticise nothing. 
Niagara County, N. Y. 
FROM SAMUEL MC BLAIN. 
1. I think I am safe in saying that I 
never attended a farmers’ meeting that I 
enjoyed so much or by which I felt so much 
benefited as the institute held at Gene¬ 
va. The speakers seemed to understand 
the subjects under discussion and earnestly 
discussed them from their standpoint. 2. 
I am a farmer. I raise fruits of all kinds; 
also wheat, barley, oats, corn and grass. I 
also feed stock of some kind iu the winter, 
for market. The speakers could hardly hit 
me amiss. 3. I would hardly be justified 
in criticizing what I could not improve. I 
have no doubt that arguments were used at 
that institute and statements made that 
time will refute; but that I hold was not 
the fault of the speakers. Theory is one 
thing; actual work is another. What 
looks reasonable may not be practicable. 
If I should criticise anything it would be 
the tendency to extravagance likely to re¬ 
sult from following some of the suggestions 
made, especially by young farmers. 
Ontario County. 
FROM W. H. DE PEW. 
I attended the institute at Auburn part 
of one day and enjoyed it very much. 1 am 
only 22 years of age and am working my 
father’s farm. I thought the speakers 
were almost too scientific for any one of 
my attainments, although I take a great 
interest iu farming. 
Cayuga County, N. Y. 
COAL ASHES ON LIGHT SOIL. 
One of our subscribers in New Haven, 
Conn., says he can obtain large quantities 
of coal ashes. His soil is light and sandy. 
He has observed that soul ashes with water 
form a compact and sticky mass, and ar¬ 
gues that ifthey could be well worked into 
his light soil the result would be that it 
would become more compact, more retent¬ 
ive of moisture and better able to with¬ 
stand drought. Is he right ? 
FROM PROF. S. W. JOHNSON. 
The inquirer is quite right. The hungry, 
coarse-textured soil of the plain upon which 
New Haven, Connecticut, is situated is at 
once improved by a liberal dressing of coal 
ashes, and many acres that I remember to 
have seen lying for years barren of any use¬ 
ful vegetation and used as dumping grounds 
are now fruitful gardens and in many 
cases the coal ashes have mostly done the 
business. 
New Haven, Conn. 
FROM DR. PETER COLLIER. 
I believe the subscriber will find an ap¬ 
plication of coal ashes, upon such light 
sandy soil as he describes, to be beneficial. 
I presume he need not be cautioned against 
applying them so abundantly as to form a 
sort of concrete, as they will do when used 
for walks. 
Geneva, N. Y. 
FROM PROF. E. W. HILYARD. 
If the soil referred to is coarse and leachy, 
the ashes might have a beneficial effect in 
correcting the condition of the soil. If, on 
the other hand, his light soil is itself a fine 
silty one, the improvement brought about 
by the ashes would probably not be worth 
the cost of application, as they bring noth¬ 
ing in the way of useful mineral matters 
with them. I am using such ash with 
advantage in a heavy “ adobe ” or prairie 
clay on my premises; it renders that soil 
more open and tillable, and diminishes its 
cohesion, thereby conferring a real benefit. 
There is, of course, some difference even in 
coal ashes ; the light, fluffy sort is rarely of 
any benefit, while heavy red ash may add 
materially to the moisture-capacity of the 
soil, and usually also brings with it some 
useful ingredients. But if your subscriber 
has any clay marl within easy reach, that 
will pay him better than coal ashes. 
Berkley, Cal. 
FROM PROF. F. H. STORER. 
There can be little doubt that coal ashes 
judiciously applied to many sands and 
sandy soils may permanently improve 
them, both by increasing the power of the 
land to hold the water which falls upon it 
as rain and by enabling the soil the better 
to suck up water from below, but it may 
well be questioned, in this country of cheap 
laud, whether any farmer can afford to ex 
pend the labor necessary for moving the 
ashes for the sake of the hoped-for improve¬ 
ment: in any event, the economic gain 
would probably be bu,t small. In case, 
however, the problem of your corespon¬ 
dent should happen to fall within the do¬ 
main of landscape gardening, that is to say, 
if he has in view the tidying up of an un¬ 
sightly lot so that useful grass may be 
made to grow upon it in the place of un¬ 
sightly weeds, it may, of course, well be 
worth his while to endure the inevitable 
sweat of the face in order to please his eye. 
COMPARATIVE VALUES OF HERD’S GRASS 
AND ORCHARD GRASS. 
L. TF.-P., Cornwall, Ft.—1. What are 
the relative values of Herd’s Grass and 
Orchard Grass? 2. Who is a reliable hay 
commission merchant? 
Ans.— 1. In reply to our questions one 
of the largest hay dealers in the city writes 
as follows: 
“ There is a difference in price, as a gen¬ 
eral thing in this market, between Herd’s 
Grass and Orchard Grass, of from $1 to $3 
per ton. Orchard Grass is raised in small 
quantities comparatively and is not a 
market grass, and it matures much earlier 
than Herd’s Grass, and at a time when 
work is crowding the farmers, and the at¬ 
tention is not given to it that is given to 
Herd’s Grass. It is also too coarse for a 
good market hay, and does not bale up or 
show to as good advantage as Herd’s 
Grass does. Then again, as Orchard Grass 
grows very rapidly, it does not seem to 
possess the feeding qualities that the other 
grass does. All in all, it is a grass that is 
but very little known in this market, and 
not much sought after.” 
This is the hay dealer’s side of the mat¬ 
ter, speaking from a standpoint of market¬ 
ing values entirely. A great many farm¬ 
ers like Orchard Grass notwithstanding its 
acknowledged faults of growing in tufts 
or bunches and early maturity. A. W. 
Cheever, excellent authority on practical 
dairy matters, considers Orchard Grass 
“ the perfection of dairy cow fodders ” 
when cut and cured just at the right time. 
It is evident that the grass will not com¬ 
pete with Timothy in the hay markets. 
Like clover, it is a grass to be fed at home. 
2. F. Williams & Co., New York, are re¬ 
liable. 
FERTILIZER FOR SWEET POTATOES. 
W. D., Burlington, N. J. —The R. N.-Y. 
has a great deal to say of potash as one of 
the principal plant foods for white pota¬ 
toes : what is the principal plant food for 
sweet potatoes ? 
Ans.—T he chemists state that sweet po¬ 
tatoes differ but slightly in the composition 
of their ash or mineral ingredients from 
the Irish potato. The percentage of ash in 
either kind is about one per cent. ; organic 
combustible matter about 25 per cent.; and 
water 74per cent., or about two-thirds their 
total weight. It is in the composition of 
the organic matter that the sweet differs 
most from the Irish. It contains more 
sugar (some seven per cent.) and less starch 
than the Irish. The points of difference 
are mainly in the materials, which are de¬ 
rived from the atmosphere and water in¬ 
stead of from the mineral ingredients of 
the soil, and are due to radical differences 
in methods of growth, feeding power, and 
surrounding conditions. It is therefore, 
natural to suppose that a fertilizer that 
gives good results with “ white ” or “Irish” 
potatoes would prove excellent for sweet 
potatoes. 
THE DUCHESS GRAPE. 
H. E. M., New York City.—is the Duch¬ 
ess grape hardy and productive ? Is it sub¬ 
ject to blight or rot ? Can it be easily propa¬ 
gated and will it grow in a “ strong” soil 
where the Delaware will not ? I wish to 
plant about 200 vines in New Jersey ; will 
they be likely to do well there ? 
Ans.— The Duchess is a variety excellent 
in some places, worthless in most places on 
account of mildew and rot. Our inquirer 
will probably find that it will not be of any 
value. We are not aware that it succeeds 
in any part of New Jersey. 
Miscellaneous. 
W. C. C., Freehold, N. J. —Yan Tassel & 
Kearney of this city handle good horses. 
S. W. B. Ladona, Pa. —You can get 
broom-corn seed of W. Atlee Burpee, Phil¬ 
adelphia, and probably of any other seeds¬ 
men advertising in the R. N.-Y. 
F. M., Naples, N. Y. —What are the good 
and poor points of the Moyer Grape ? 
Ans.—T he R. N.-Y. has never tried it. 
Opinions as to its merits differ widely. 
S. H. W., Weston, Mass. —Is the Gainor 
Blackberry early, medium, or late ? How 
will it compare with the Synder ? 
Ans.—I t ripens with the Kittatinny. 
The berry is larger and of better quality 
than the Synder; but the vine is probably 
not so hardy. 
J. H. K., Pompcy, N. Y .—From whom 
can I get information about abandoned 
Vermont farms which are for sale at $5 per 
acre? 
Ans.—W rite to A. B. Valentine, Commis¬ 
sioner of Immigration, Bennington, Ver¬ 
mont, for a list of the farms and prices. 
E. (No address ).—Where can I get in¬ 
formation with regard to the history and 
varieties of our cultivated cherries ? I 
would like to become acquainted with 
about all the literature on the subject. 
ANS.—Consult Downing’s “Fruits and 
Fruit Trees of America” and the “Origin 
of Cultivated Plants ” by A. De Candolle. 
R. F., Newcastle, Ontario, Canada .— 
What is the best rule for measuring hay in 
a stack or loft ? 
Ans.—H ay dealers allow'512 cubic feet to 
the ton. This estimate is considered fair 
though of course much depends upon the 
size of the stack and the character of the 
hay. Find the number of cubic feet in the 
stack or loft by multiplying length, hight 
and width. Then divide by 512. 
C. E. C., Marietta, (7a.—Can the R. N.- 
Y. give me a little information about the 
taxes and government of the Bahama Is¬ 
lands ? 
ANS.—What particular information do 
you desire ? The consular reports from 
the Bahamas make no reference to govern¬ 
ment and taxation, though very full regard¬ 
ing their commerce and trade. Tell us just 
what you want to know aud we will obtain 
full information through the State Depart¬ 
ment. 
L. S., St. Catherines, Canada.— My gar¬ 
den embraces 15 acres and in spring I in¬ 
tend to set out a quantity of asparagus 
roots. Most growers say plants should be 
in rows three or four feet apart and from one 
to two feet apart in the rows. Wishing to 
grow as many as possible on the land, 
would it not be better to plant in old-fash¬ 
ioned beds, having rows 15 inches apart and 
plants 12 inches apart in the rows ? 
Ans.—B y all means, plant at the greater 
distance, if you would have large, tender 
shoots and a long-lived plantation. 
“ Farmer's Wife," Mount Pleasant, Iowa. 
How does Mr. Terry of Ohio, make such 
a good living on 50 acres of land ? Does he 
have a bank account to fall back on ? 
Ans.—M r. Terry claims to make his 
money at farming. His cash crops are 
wheat and potatoes. As we understand 
him, he has paid for his farm and built new 
buildings out of the proceeds of his farm. 
Mr. T. writes a good deal for the agricul¬ 
tural press and does considerable work at 
farmers’ institutes during the winter, but 
the money received for this work is but a 
small “ drop in the bucket.” 
Discussion. 
CALIFORNIA LANDS. 
C. H. S., Niles, California.—A great 
deal of harm has been done to California by 
nomadic land speculators and by the class 
of newspapers who sell their reading and 
editorial columns for advertising purposes. 
Every thoughtful man on the Pacific Coast 
is in sympathy with the efforts of the 
Rural New-Yorker to state facts, all the 
facts—nothing but the facts—in regard to 
every section of country. Now I travel a 
good deal over California, and visit many 
parts of the State. I know many of the 
prominent farmers and fruit-growers and 
often discuss crops and land values with 
them. Some of my own conclusions may 
therefore be of interest to the Rural New- 
Yorker readers. “Comparisons,” in this 
connection, appear to me “odious.” Cali¬ 
fornia is very different from New Jersey, 
but I do not see why the New Jersey farmer 
should not love his home as much as the 
California farmer loves his; I cannot but 
believe in the general law of compensations, 
which comes nearer to balancing things 
than the man who has “land out West” to 
sell is willing to admit. So I have no com¬ 
parisons to make; and only a few results of 
observation to give readers of the R. N.-Y. 
California is a very large State on the 
map, and it is even larger in point of variety 
of climate, of soil, of resource, of social sur¬ 
roundings, and, in brief, of social “oppor¬ 
tunities,” large and small. It is especially 
and emphatically true of California that no 
man can afford to invest here without 
spending several months in going over the 
entire State, not merely a small portion of 
it. There are large farming communities 
in California—there are whole valleys and 
even counties that have never had the un¬ 
fortunate experience of a “boom,” that 
contain no real estate “boomers,” and 
where property has always changed hands 
on the basis of productive values. I visited 
Southern California at the beginning of 
the great land speculations there, again at 
the hight of the fever, and a third time 
after the end had come. I noticed several 
remarkable things: In the first place, there 
were not enough boomers and buyers to 
cover the whole territory. Lands of the 
finest quality, in small districts and in the 
midst of excited districts, staid at ordinary 
rates. Buyers did not go there because the 
country was large and they did not hear of 
these districts. 
A real estate man offered me orange land 
in one of the most famous colonies for 
$1,000 an acre. “ But,” I told him, “ I know 
all this country, and within 10 miles in dis¬ 
trict ' so and so,’ I can buy the same soil, 
in as good a climate, with more water, for 
$150 an acre.” I had known him for years, 
and he acknowledged the truth of my state¬ 
ment. “ But,” he said, “ there will never 
be any boom over there: we can always 
keep it here.” It was just the same in 
the grape, the corn, and the wheat districts 
of Southern California. Communities 
where prices of land remained almost un¬ 
changed during the land excitement, went 
on calmly planting and developing their 
resources. The worst feature in the land 
excitement was in the numerous “ paper 
towns” that were laid out in most absurd 
situations. Nearly all the buyers bought 
to sell again as soon as possible, not to build 
or improve, and many never saw the towns 
or cared to see them. The effect on the 
■PisceUaneous* 
“Herbrand” Fifth. Wheel for Buggies 
