1889 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
841 
ficlft Crops. 
R. H.-Y. Womens’ National Potato Contest. 
(Continued from Cage, 886.) 
in the rows and worked into the soil with 
a pronged hoe. On June 20 the hoII was 
loosened between the rows with a cultiva¬ 
tor. On .inly 8 the vines commenced to 
blossom. They were about 18 inches high 
and averaged half an inch in diameter. On 
September 21 they wore killed by frost. 
Potatoes were not troubled by any beetles 
at all this year. The crop was dug on Sop 
turn her 28, the vines averaging 4Wf feet in 
length when pulled. The yield of market¬ 
able tubers was 17 bushels and there was 
half a bushel of unmarketable ones. The 
tubers wore, on an average, smooth and 
shapely, and the eyes shallow. In another 
"contest” 1 would plant another variety 
and do so in a higher and lighter soil. 
St. Louis County, Minn. 
MISS MARY RUSK. 
I was born duly 28, 1868 in Madison 
County, Illinois, and was left an orphan at 
an early age. After the death of my par¬ 
ents, I lived with my grand parents, for 
several years. Afterwards I lived with a 
married brother until I was old enough to 
earn my own living. 
t then lived with a family who gave me my 
board and clothes and sent me to school for 
about two years. After that I lived with 
different families, all farmers, until 1881, 
when i went to live in the family of Mr. 
Jeff rose where I have been ever since. M r. 
Jeffress has been a subscriber to the RURAL 
Nkw-Y 0RKKK fora number of years, and I 
of course read the paper. When 1 expressed 
a desire to join the Women’s Potato 
Contest, ho kindly offered to give me a plot 
of ground and potatoes enough to plant, 
it. I have done light work, such as drop¬ 
ping corn, planting potatoes, and working 
among the vegetables, but I never tried to 
raise a crop before ; but the greater part of 
toy life has been spent on a farm. 
| Miss Rusk’s photograph is reproduced at 
Fig. 3<X), page 834.—El>8.] 
MRS. AtlNKK 0. CAMERON. 
My maiden name was Agnes Campbell 
Bell. My parents lived at Newburgh, N. 
Y., where I was married to John Cameron 
on September 20, 1870. We then went to 
New York City. My husband was a 
plumber by trade, but in 1878 we removed 
to our present home on a farm. My bus- 
band had never worked on a farm nor had I 
myself done so till we came here. The first, 
year we had to hire all the work done; 
since that time we have been able to do the 
work ourselves with extra help at harvest 
time. I have always helped my husband in 
planting corn and In hay harvest. I can 
drive a reaper as well as any man, or a 
sulky rake, and when I’m wanted for plow¬ 
ing corn, I do so. I always have a large 
garden on which I pride myself. This is 
the first contest I over have worked for. We 
have always harvested good crops of pota¬ 
toes. The farmers around would wonder 
how we could raise so many. We used to 
toll them they ought to read the RURAL 
Nl«w YoiiKKU and then they could do the 
same. Corn and wheat were good crops 
this year. We made a little over 20 bush¬ 
els of wheat to the acre on clover sod : the 
average is 10 to 12 bushels to the acre. 
Corn will average 40 bushels to the acre. 
It. would liavu been heavier had not frost 
cut It short. My husband thanks the R. 
N. Y. for his success in farming. We take 
four papers; but we t hink the RURAL the*, 
head of all, so we are always anxious for 
its arrival. 
[Mrs. Cameron's picture appears at Fig. 
200, first page.- Eus.J 
MRS. MARY K. WARREN. 
Tins lady was born on October 2, 18110, in 
what is now the city of Middletown, 
Orange County, N. Y. then an ordinary 
country village. Her father, the late Ben¬ 
jamin Bonnet, was a farmer. The original 
Bonnet estate comprised about a square 
mile of land. The growing village and city 
has absorbed the whole of it, with the ex¬ 
ception of about 10 acres. She was married 
on November 4th, 18113, and has two sons 17 
and 30 years old respectively . The family 
lives four miles from the city of Danbury 
and is very pleasantly located, the house 
being large, convenient, and complete in 
all it.s appointments, so that housework is 
reduced to a minimum. Her husband has 
retired from business, which was of a pro¬ 
fessional nature, and devotes his attention 
mostly to special gardening. 
[A picture of Mrs. Warren’s may be found 
at Fig. 302, page 835.—EDS.J 
MRS. MARY A. PRESLEY. 
I was born on a farm in Jefferson County 
N. Y., April 19, 1823, and am, accordingly, 
in my 07th year. My father was a farmer 
from my earliest recollection. I was mar¬ 
ried on dune 14, 1853. My husband" farmed” 
for a number of years, but for the post 
15 years lie has found "marketgardenlng” 
more to ids liking. Our crops of course 
are rather varied, but wo make a specialty 
of growing " fine celery, ” and have every 
reason to feel proud of our success. Since 
we subscribed for the R. N.-Y. we have also 
grown potatoes with profit. I have always 
had a taste for horticulture, and I am hap¬ 
piest when working among my flowers. 1 
was never particularly interested in any 
farm crop until after we had begun to take 
the RURAL, but after reading of the edi¬ 
tor’s carefully conducted experiments and 
experience with potatoes, so fully explain 
ed, I said that with such teaching even an 
" old woman ” con Id raise a "big crop,” 
and when the opportunity came through 
the Women’s National Potato Contest, I 
gladly availed myself of it, and although 
the season was a very bad one I carried my 
point, as my report will show. Had it been 
a favorable one I am convinced that I 
would have more than made good the Ru¬ 
ral’s assertion that it is possible to raise 
at the rate of 704) bushels of “ marketable” 
tubers per acre. 
MISS SARAH A. SMITH. 
I WAS born on this farm on February 7, 
1873. I have grown to a bight of nearly 
six feet and am strong and healthy in propor¬ 
tion. Living as we do,three miles from town, 
I believe that the bracing walks to school in 
the morn ings for the past nine years were in a 
great part the cause of my vigorous growth, 
as neither father nor mother is above medi¬ 
um size. My first recollection about tak¬ 
ing any interest in the farm was when I 
was nine years old. Then father gave me 
a patch of ground and seed potatoes enough 
to plant it. This 1 hoed and cared for dur¬ 
ing the summer and harvested a crop of 11 
bushels which were sold to father at the 
current price. Since then I have taken an 
active part in nearly all kinds of farm 
work, even to driving the horses in plow¬ 
ing, harrowing or raking hay, either of 
which jobs 1 prefer to housework. We 
have always taken several good papers, 
among which two or three have been agri¬ 
cultural. I early acquired a liking for the 
latter on account of my father subscribing 
for one of them in my name. Tills I would 
opeu au<l read with more pride than com¬ 
prehension at first, though 1 soon began to 
read it in earnest, mid now find an account 
of some new experiment in farm work of 
far more interest than story reading. 
1 was very much Interested in the R. N.¬ 
Y.’s "contest ” a year ago, and when the 
announcement of the " Women’s Contest” 
was made, I immediately entered my name. 
Even though 1 should get no prize I do not 
regret my work on that "Contest Plot” in 
the least, for 1 rather enjoyed it, for it 
caused considerable merriment among our 
neighbors, especially when the potatoes 
were dug. 
fA picture of Miss Smith is shown at Fig. 
301, page 835.—Ens. | 
THE WISCONSIN SCHOOL OF DAI¬ 
RYING. 
PROF. W. A. HENRY. 
A valuable, short Imt complete course for 
farmers’ sons; its inception and steady 
increase; specially adapted to farm, 
hoys as regards preliminary require¬ 
ments and. nature of instruction; range 
of subjects taught; students select special 
subjects for study; continuing studies 
winter after winter; work practical amt 
attractive in form; having gained, a 
better knowledge of farm operations amt 
the reasons therefor, students teal'll to 
love farm life all the more; excellent re¬ 
sults hitherto accomplished; bright 
prospects ahead. 
In reply to an inquiry from the R. N.-Y. 
relative to our new dairy school, allow me 
to make a few statements, going baek a 
little in the history of our agricultural de¬ 
partment, and including a description of 
our short course, which is essential to un¬ 
derstanding our plan of dairy instruction. 
For years our university, like most others 
that gave agricultural Instruction, failed 
to draw any considerable number of agri¬ 
cultural students, and it was very ques¬ 
tionable whether we would ever succeed 
under the old plan, which provided along 
course of four years in agriculture, rank¬ 
ing in requirements for admission and 
character of studies with the other univer¬ 
sity courses. We also allowed young men 
to come and study for a term or more, but 
did not offer them any special advantages. 
That is, they were expected to join classes 
already in existence, and make their way 
along with them as best they could. The 
regents (trustees) of the university took 
the matter in hand a few years sluce, and 
directed that a lower, simpler course in ag¬ 
riculture 1ms provided. It fell to my lot to 
arrange for what we afterwards named the 
" Short Course In Agriculture,” and here 
let me confess that at first. I believed that 
the plan would not succeed. However, t ills 
adverse opinion held by myself, did not 
prevent the best, effort I could make for the 
new course of instruction, which I believe 
was really the first, of its kind in America. 
The scheme was to provide teachers from 
the university force, who should give in¬ 
struction arranged for the capacity and 
wants of such young men actually engaged 
in farming as might desire to secure it by 
leaving the farm for three months and re¬ 
turning to it. again at the end of that 
period. Other institutions have offered 
short courses in agriculture, but l believe 
none, until recently at. least, lias made a 
short course complete in itself and dis¬ 
tinct from all others, for such a purpose as 
this. We have now given inst ruction in 
thin line for four winters, and last year had 
40 bright, energetic young men with us, 
every one of whom left the farm to study 
with us, and hurried back again at the 
close of the term to oontiuuo farm w o 
Tills course has gradually grown, until this 
winter we offer instruction as follows : 
Daily lectures on stock breeding, stock 
feeding, and general farm operations, by 
myself; lectures by Dr. Babcock upon ag¬ 
ricultural chemistry; by Mr. F. H. King 
upon soils, drainage, farm buildings, and 
farm machinery. The persons enumerated 
have their quarters in Agricultural Hall, 
and give their whole time up to agricul¬ 
tural investigation and instruction. In 
addition, students who desire receive train¬ 
ing in the machine shop, going through an 
elementary course in wood-work, such as 
using the plane, learning to handle the 
saw, and ending with wood turning; they 
also receive a course in simple blacksmith 
ing. Our State Veterinarian meets the class 
three times a week for veterinary instruc¬ 
tion. This brings me to the new features 
offered this winter for the first time. 
Having secured Prof. E. S. Hoff, late of 
the New York Experiment Station, and 
one of the R. N.-Y.’s contributors, as Pro¬ 
fessor of Horticulture in the university, 
we have provided him with a fine labora¬ 
tory, and lie will this winter give instruc¬ 
tion in horticulture. From the ample prepa¬ 
rations ho is making, I believe this will 
bo a most instructive and valuable course. 
The other new feature is a course in dairying. 
For this we shall expend about #3,(XX), hav¬ 
ing built a large two-story dairy-house, with 
boiler room, etc. In the dairy house will 
be found as complete a line of dairy tna 
chinery and apparatus as we can find, in¬ 
cluding the butter extractor, centrifuge 
cream separator, appliances for deep set¬ 
ting, etc. Dr. Babcock will give instruc¬ 
tions in handling milk and butter-making. 
Mr. E. M. O’Connell, a practical cheese- 
maker of Sheboygan County, who has 
studied with Prof. Robertson of Canada, 
and was employed the past season by the 
State Dairymen’s Association to instruct 
the cheese-makers of his section, will de¬ 
vote his time to instruction in cheese- 
making and cheese curing. To accommo¬ 
date the students in this work we have fit¬ 
ted up a fine laboratory with desks, the 
same as chemical students use and will 
provide apparatus whereby they can famil¬ 
iarize themselves with the simple methods 
of milk analysis, such as Short’s method, 
tlie lactometer, etc. 
It will be seen that we offer more lines of 
instruction than any young man can follow 
in a single winter. Wo allow each student 
to choose three or four subjects, and be 
must adhere to them. Last year seven 
young men returned to continue work 
which they could not carry out the preced¬ 
ing winter; this winter wo have promises 
that quite a good number will return for 
the same purpose. 
As this course becomes developed, we see 
great possibilities for it, and from lafirig 
skeptical as to the practicability of taking 
young meu of tills class into a university, 
I have come to believe that wo have at last 
found the proper way to build up an agri¬ 
cultural department or college. In our 
ladder of education we have at last found 
that the first rounds to bo put into it are 
the lower ones. Our lectures are not very 
formal, and we introduce just as much 
laboratory work as possible. 1 find that 
our host students do not care to have us 
teach them how to hold a plow, milk a cow, 
or sow grain. In coming to us for inst ruc¬ 
tion they are under considerable expense, 
and most of them say that they prefer to 
get tiio reasons for things with us. and that 
correct practice comes quickly enough 
when at home. Our instruction is much of 
the same nature as would he given at farm¬ 
ers’ institutes, only, of course, it is greatly 
superior to that, because each instructor 
has 60 days’ time with his students. 
We do not try to make scientists of these 
young men, hut atm rather to make them 
careful, thoughtful, observing and practi¬ 
cal. I have been surprised to watch their 
development, and note that the majority of 
ttieni leave us enthusiastic in their voca¬ 
tion, and yet not at all puffed up or hold¬ 
ing the Idea that they are "college edu¬ 
cated.” At. first it was seriously questioned 
whether young " en of this class could he 
successfully handled in a university where 
hundreds of regular students were in at¬ 
tendance. 1 rejoice to say that during the 
four years in which this course has been on 
trial, not a single difilculty c.f any kind has 
arisen in regard to such an association. 
These young men hoard in the same clubs 
with university students, and are greatly 
benefited by meeting those who are engaged 
in other lines of study and investigation 
They have their own agricultural literary 
society, and come and go without attract¬ 
ing any more attention than do the law 
students or those studying the mechanic 
arts. Of course this instruction has cost 
JACK FROST CATCHES MR. POTATO OUT. Fia. 304. 
