JAN. 4 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
which can be mowed twice a year by the far¬ 
mer with good returns in cash, and in im¬ 
proved appearance. 
MOST SUITABLE SORTS. 
Wlntt trees shall we plant ? The Sugar Maple 
is my own favorite, and I have lately set about 
200, making a double row more than half a mile 
long. The trees are clean and beautiful, and in 
time this double row along the roadside may be 
made a part of the sugar orchard, and yield 
many gallons of the purest, most, delicious 
sweet produced by nature and art combined. 
The Elm is the most magnificent shade tree, 
but. is n voracious feeder, aud will in time draw 
heavily on the fertility of the adjoining fields. 
Its roots are of enormous length, aud its 
brandies spread far aud wide, and will shade 
the adjacent crops in time. But it is hardy and 
requires less care than the Maple. Borne varie¬ 
ties of the Cherry make good shade trees, and 
the boys do not object to the fruit. And even 
the apple tree is used in some parts of New 
England. A well shaped Baldwin is a hand¬ 
some shade tree, and the apples will feed the 
boys and leave a large surplus to the farmer. 
But it is not enough simply to plant the 
trees. Th§._soil must be property prepared 
beforehand, and the trees will need much sub¬ 
sequent care and shaping. The soil of some of 
our clayey road-sides is nearly ruined by travel 
in muddy weather, and must be restored to 
mellowness and fertility. In case of the Maples 
mentioned above, the grouud was plowed, 
manured and cultivated for two years before 
the trecB were set—just as for a young orchard, 
and it will he cultivated a few years in low crops 
or without crops, and then seeded to grass and 
the trees mulched. Some such treatment seems 
necessary to secure the life and rapid growth 
of Maples on a clay road-side. Tilling the 
ground, too, will keep horseback riders off. A 
plowed field is worse than the road, in muddy 
weather. 
Such improvements add much to the cash 
value of the farm, and give returns enough 
each year in cash, if managed rightly, to pay 
for the labor. 
Summit Co., Ohio. 
-» ♦ »- 
THE HISTORY OF A POOR FARM. 
NO. 1. 
It was certainly a poor farm, and as I in¬ 
spected my new and accidental possession, I 
thought of Touchstone’s remark about Audrey, 
an ill-favored thing, sir, but mine own.” It 
was something that would be costly to let alone 
and costly to do anything with ; but as the 
latter was the only way to make it worth some¬ 
thing in the end, I began to consider what 
should be done. The laud was a sandy loam, a 
flat ridge with a swamp on each side, and rather 
steep hill-sides from the ridge to the swamps, 
apiece of wood-laud of a few acres, and a more 
prepossessing field beyond the wood. The 
fences either lay down, or tottered in all angles 
but right-angles, and the rails were moss-cov¬ 
ered aud in a venerable condition of weakness, 
which made it unsafe to rest upon any of them. 
The fields were covered with wild garlic, sand 
burs, and rag-weed: the buildings were in a 
wretched condition of decrepitude aud, for 
some years, no animul had put foot upon the 
premises to stay. The whole 60 acres could 
not have furnished one fair meal for a cow. and 
a flock of sheep, notwithstanding their sup¬ 
posed aptitude for, and success iu, restoring 
poor fields to a condition of fertility, would 
have starved before they could have found a 
place to begin operations iu. 
It was over such a prospect that I was dubi¬ 
ously considering how hopeless was the task 
before me of bringing this farm into a profitable 
condition, and more particularly viewing a 
rough swamp of several acres lying in a sort of 
basin at my feet, when an old gentleman ap¬ 
proached me very deliberately and said, “ You 
are the owner of this place, I suppose ?" With¬ 
out waiting for an answer, he continued, “ I 
thought so.” Perhaps he saw the fact con¬ 
fessed in my assenting look. “ You’ve a mighty 
poor piece of land here; that is, it’s iu a mighty 
poor condition—the laud is good enough iu 
itself, but it has been run down wonderful. 
And the question is how are you going to get 
it up again ?" “ Well,” I remarked, “ there’s 
that swamp; don't you think that will help 
towards it?” “Yes,” replied the old gentle¬ 
man, ** there is enough laud there, if it was 
only put into good couditiou, to cut 30 tons of 
hay every year, and enough manure may be 
taken out of the drains to make the rest of the 
farm rich. 1 have lived more than 60 years 
on the next farm, aud I know that the muck 
out of these swamps is worth, load for load, 
as much as cow manure, and that is just 
what tbiB light soil wants." “ I think you are 
right,” I replied, “and no doubt a fanner 
who has a bed of swamp muck on his farm, 
is well supplied with manure, if he only man¬ 
ages it properly.” •• How would you use it?” 
asked he. “Well J nave had some experience 
with swamps befor* this, and have used lprge 
quantities of swamp muck. I have spread it 
raw upon the grouud and plowed it under, 
but in that way ^iever found it of the least 
use. I have dug it and mixed it with lime 
and made a compost of it, and in that shape 
it is valuable, especially for top-dressing 
meadows and for plowing under. But the 
best method of using it is undoubtedly to haul 
it to the yard and bed cows, horses and pigs 
with it, very liberally, and so save all the liquid 
manure that would otherwise be wasted: and 
that is what I propose to do with it here.” 
•‘What does this muck consist of?” asked 
the old gentleman. “ I guess it’s mostly rotten 
leaves and grass, and I don’t see. why it is not 
as good as they are. Gardeners think very 
highly of leaf-mold. I always thought.” ’ That 
is true,” said I, “ muck that is free from sand, 
as this is. contains about three per cent of 
nitrogen : and one ton of it. dry, would he 
equal iu value, in this respect, to seven tons of 
straw. A ton of good dry muck would con¬ 
tain 60 pounds of nitrogen, or as much as six 
tons of horse manure or ten tons of cow 
manure, iu the wet state in which these are 
generally used. And there is no need to draw 
1,500 or 1,600 pounds of water with every load 
of muck, if it is dug and left to dry for a few 
months, or even weeks.” The old gentleman 
was too astonished to reply ; bo I continued, 
“ If this dry muck is spread a foot deep in the 
pig pens or cow stables, every drop of the 
urine will he saved, aud this, in one year, from 
one cow, amounts to 7,000 lbs., in which there 
is more than 150 pounds of nitrogen, besides 
50 pounds of potash and 5 pounds of phos¬ 
phoric acid. From 10 cows there might be 
saved 35 tons of this valuable manure, which 
would make, with sufficient swamp muck added 
to absorb it, at least 300 loads which would he 
worth more than any common barnyard manure 
ever made.” “ Then," said the old gentleman, 
“ I don’t see what you want more than a lot of 
cows, and to set a horse and wagon to work 
hauling muck, to make your farm rich.” “There 
is some truth in that," I replied, ‘’but what is 
wanted iu this case is some way in which I can 
grow something to feed the cows first; and 
this must be something which must not require 
a large outlay of money. 
•‘The most difficult thing in the improvement 
of a poor farm is the start. This needs an out¬ 
lay of money to purchase the fertilizers needed 
to grow the first crop. Just now artificial 
fertilizers promise to be of the g^patost use for 
such a purpose, and the question of what should 
be used and how it should be used, is one that 
requires serious consideration. The points to 
consider are what crops would be the best to 
raise upon a poor, worn-out soil; and this 
involves the consideration of what stock are to 
be kept, and how they should be fed ; and next, 
what fertilizers are the best to be used for 
those crops.” 
My plan was to feed as many cows as possi¬ 
ble ; to grow fodder crops only ; and to pur¬ 
chase whatever concentrated food, such as 
be needed, with the idea that the principal value 
of these would be returned iu the manure. In 
this way I should procure some rich manure, 
to which I could add as many times its hulk of 
swamp muck as possible, aud so make a large 
quantity of fertilizing material, aud in this 
secure my profit. My plan, also, included the 
growing of crops for the soiling of cows, and 
to sell only milk from the farm for which I 
could get a market at the door. From former 
experience I had learned to give a good deal 
of weight to the opinions of the neighbors who 
were native and to the manner born, aud I was 
glad of every opportunity of conversing with 
them, and of learning their views; a man of 
ordinary common sense who has followed the 
plow all liis life and has reached a good old age 
upon a farm, cannot fail to have gathered a 
large store of practical knowledge. Many a 
new-comer into a locality thinks himself able 
to teach the old residents a good many things ; 
but it is generally the case that he finds he has 
many things to learn before he gets through 
the first year or two in his new home. 
My old neighbor had left with kindly good 
wishes for my success, and pleased that there 
was a prospect of the farm, which had been 
badly mismanaged for years, becoming some 
thing of a credit to the neighborhood. He was a 
hale, hearty old mau of 86 years, and had lived 
on the adjoining property for 60 years, starting 
as a farmer at the age of 26. He had been a 
tailor, but the sedentary business was not 
kealttiful, and on this account was changed for 
a farm. His grandson now worked the farm, 
and his house was filled with a number of 
great-grand-cbildren; a striking instance to 
my Jqind of the happy effects upon a man and 
his Circumstances of a healthful, active employ¬ 
ment, and of the certain success of farming as 
■a l-gjdness when it is steadily pnrsued. 
-- 
WHAT OTHERS SAY. 
Science and Practice ok Farming.— Pro¬ 
fessor Tanner says: “Take vegetable physi¬ 
ology : the man who understands the structure 
of plants is far better able to judge of any 
difficulty which arises iu the cultivation of the 
crop than if he had not that knowledge. I do 
not say that a man who understands vegetable 
physiology is going to tell more about any 
failure, iu a crop or difficulty in its growth than 
the farmer of experience: but of two farmers 
having equal experience, the farmer who had 
a knowledge of vegetable physiology would 
give a clearer insight either into his difficulties 
or his means of success. The experience of 
the farmer is of priceless value, but if you sup¬ 
plement that experience by a knowledge of the 
character, habits, and nature of the thing you 
are dealing with, you must necessarily be in a 
better position to judge as to what causes your 
failure or helps yon to success than if you had 
onlj’ one knowledge. The same applies to 
other branches of science. The view I wish to 
submit is that science must be regarded as a 
light thrown upon the experience which all 
derive from every-day practice on the farm. 
The study, even of pure science is likely then 
to be of advantage to all who are able to learn 
farming, because it will enable them to learu 
the practice of farming more clearly and more 
distinctly. But we mgst not think it is chem¬ 
istry which will teach us farming, Farming is 
a direct matter of business in its every-day 
details, and is not to be learnt by science classes. 
But what science can do is to enable those who 
have learned it, to become more perfect agri¬ 
culturists, and to grapple with difficulties which 
perhaps puzzle the man who^has not this ad¬ 
THE PLANTATION MILL. 
vantage. Therefore, it is of tremendous advan¬ 
tage to the younger men who have all their life 
before them. 
Use ok Lime. —Prof. Caldwell reasons in this 
way in the N. Y. Tribune : “ Hence the first 
and one of the most important rules to be ob¬ 
served in the use of lime is that it should be 
applied in these large doses only to soils com¬ 
paratively rich in humus, or strong clay soils 
ricli in fluely divided silicates. It has been 
proved by experiment that lime will convert 
plant food from insoluble to soluble forms in 
either case. We find the ’proverb current in 
France and Germany, as well as in our own 
language, that “ Lime without manure makes 
the father rich but the children poor: ’’ which 
means, plainly enough, that not only should 
we start with a good soil in using lime, but 
should maintain its good condition by the libe¬ 
ral use of manure; and we find that whenever, 
in this country or elsewhere, lime is used in¬ 
telligently, manure is used freely.” 
Corn Culture. —“ The suckers,” says H. M. 
Engle, in a prize essay, “ should, under all 
circumstances, be taken off before they appro¬ 
priate too much substance which the main 
stalks should receive, but under no circum¬ 
stances allow suckers to tassel, for whatever 
pains may be taken to bring or keep the corn 
at its greatest perfection by selection of seed, 
the pollen from the sucker may undo what has 
been gained by years of careful selection. 1 
would as soon think of breeding from a scrub 
male to a thoroughbred animal, as to have the 
pollen from suckers cast upon an excellent 
variety of corn. It. is also well known that the 
polleD from a neighboring field is ofttimes 
carried to an almost incredible distance, and 
consequently may cause more mixture than iB 
desirable.” 
-- 
CATALOGUES, Ac., RECEIVED. 
New Jersey State Hort. 8ociety. The 
Fourth Annual Meeting of the above society 
will be held in Geological Hall. New Brunswick. 
N. J., January 15 and 16, at 10 o'clock, A. M., 
with an evening session on the first day. A 
number of topics of general interest are pre¬ 
sented for consideration. Samples of fruits, 
flowers, etc., are solicited. E. Williams, Sec’y. 
List of Clydesdale Horses at Lakeside Stock 
Farm, Syracuse, N. Y., the property of the en¬ 
terprising firm of Smith & Powell. This hand¬ 
some catalogue of 34 pages should be sent for 
by all desirous of improving their draft horses 
by the introduction of good blood, for which 
the Clydesdales have everywhere won an en¬ 
viable celebrity. 
Also, a 65-page catalogue of the twenty 
Hambletonian stallions and colts, and the forty 
Hambletonian mares and fillies belonging to 
the same firm and kept at the same place. To 
those interested in roadsters and light draft 
horses this list is both interesting and instruc¬ 
tive. 
Also, catalogues of Holstein cattle, to be seen 
on the same farm and bought from the same 
owners. The above catalogues will be sent free 
to applicants. 
Garden Manual and Catalogue of Seeds. 
Plants, etc. J. B. Root, 802 Kishwaukee St.. 
Rockford, Ills. We would especially commend 
this catalogue and this establishment to the 
market and farm gardener, and to all especial 
ly interested in raising good vegetables. 
fitkstrial Jmjilraents. 
THE PLANTATION MILL, 
shown in our engraving, is adapted to any 
kind of light power, and is a most serviceable 
piece of machinery for farm and plantation 
work. It will grind wheat, middlings or miner¬ 
als, aud will reduce meal to any required fine¬ 
ness. It develops great capacity by a small 
expenditure of power, because the grinding 
surface is small. The bed-stone oscillates upon 
a central point of eoutact, the Bpindle of run¬ 
ner-stone resting upon permanent bearings 
Be a ted In an iron frame. This arrangement, 
keeps the stones in face with each other.) 
As may be seen (see illustration) the con¬ 
struction is simple, solid and durable, and tha 
stones are very accessible for dressing. The 
motion is said to be very steady and easily 
regulated. The bulir-stone is carefully selected, 
of sharp, even texture, medium, open or 
close, as desired. The Nordyke aud Marmon 
Co., of Indianapolis, Ind., have given especial 
care to improving this mill, until now it satis¬ 
factorily meets the demands of their trade. 
The illustration of bolter shown is adapted to 
meal, buckwheat or flour. Its price is so low 
that it is possible, for every one to add this ma¬ 
chine to his mill equipment, and have a com¬ 
plete. grinding mill. 
This firm is one of the largest manufacturers 
of mill machinery, and extremely careful to 
turn out only very superior work. We would 
suggest that those interested should send for 
descriptive circulars or any information that 
experience may prompt. 
