26 i 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Jot ®ojrirs. 
WORK IN MAY. 
Need or Thought and Foresight. —As in 
April, so in May, there is much to be done. 
There will be a coustaut temptation to hurry 
and overwork, and not to do everything well. 
This is uot economy in any sense of the word. 
Take time to think over everything before 
attempting to do it. Look uhead. When one 
piece of work is done, think what next, and 
then what is to follow that; and will these all 
go off smoothly and to good advantage. Every 
man should consider his circumstances and his 
materials to work with. Ho should study the 
nature of his soils and his markets and raise 
such crops and such stock as are best suited to 
his situation. If his soil is thin, he will not 
plow deep and turn up the poor subsoil to the 
surface. He may stir up the subsoil and leave 
it where it is. If his soil is deep, rather heavy 
or good for a foot or more, he will occasion¬ 
ally, at least, plow very deep and get larger 
crops by so doing. He will use good judgment 
every time, and not adopt any one set of in¬ 
dexible rules. 
Meadows.— Before the grass starts, pick up 
all the stones and loose stumps, or stick stakes 
by them that the mower may be safely used. 
Sow plaster, uud top-dress the poorest patches, 
at least, with a little manure. We know of one 
"inn who has derived great advantage from 
mulching his meadows with materials from old 
straw' stacks. Bone-dust is worth trying and 
many other fertilizers. Keep off the cattle and 
sheep iuspriDg. 
Indian Cohn, Oats and Bareev.— The oats 
and barley are sown early iu May, or earlier in 
some portions of our country. With these two 
crops, wheat succeeds best after barley. Try 
a piece of peas or beaus instead of summer 
fullow and sow to wheat. Indian corn goes in 
about the 10th of May, in many States at the 
North. The soil should be well wanned first. 
There is nothing gained iu plauting very early. 
The corn should be well cultivated before it is 
planted. By this we mean, it is the best way 
to cultivate and pulverize the soil nicely be¬ 
fore planting. The work can then be done to 
the best advantage. There is nothing in the 
way. Too few men think of this when fitting 
the ground. 
Carves.— The calf is “ father to the ox." As 
the calf is, so will the mature animal be, good 
or poor. A calf well summered is half win¬ 
tered. Calves want milk, but the quantity can 
be reduced by using middlings in the milk. 
Begin moderately by using a lew spoonfuls at 
each feeding. Allow them good, rich pasture. 
Flax-seed tea or oil-cake meal is excellent to 
use in small quantities. A calf should be kept 
growing all the time till it reaches maturity. 
Winter aud summer, there should be no halting. 
Sheep.— They should go to grass gradually 
to prevent disease. They should be tagged 
and looked alter every day. Most wool-grow¬ 
ers have decided that it is best to shear early 
and not wash the wool while it iH on the sheep. 
Early shearing stimulates an early growth of 
wool, and a larger clip is obtained than when 
cut in June or July. The fleece should be 
done up rather loosely, aud tied with small 
twine in moderate quantities. The tags should 
be carefully washed aud kept in a separate lot. 
Pasture. —The grass should be allowed to 
get a good start before feeding begins, and 
then it should be allowed to keep the start all 
summer. Some soiling crop, as corn or bar¬ 
ley or millet, should be started to feed when 
dry weather comes on. Iu our climate, it is 
well to remember that pastures nearly always 
fail or run short for a mouth or so some time 
nearly every year. 
The Orchard and Vineyard. —The former 
uecds constaut attention if it is expected to 
produce something for the use of the laud. A 
young orchard may be planted to corn, pota¬ 
toes, beans or some hoed crop, but never to a 
sowed crop, like wheat, oats, barley or grass. 
Feed the land unless It is naturally strong. 
Raise up grape vines and tie them iu place 
before the Imds start. Cultivate early and 
often till ubout the middle of August. 
The Vegetable Carden. —Many people 
never know the luxury or value of a good 
vegetable garden. They live from youth to 
old age without learning how to mauage one. 
They never taste the best products except at 
the tables of others. People are too apt to 
forget to plaut a succession of vegetables. The 
soil must be rich, the land well cultivated every 
week or of tenor. We need not here repeat 
the special directions for the time of sowing 
aud the treatment ol each vegetable. Every 
seed catalogue gives these directions; and a 
catalogue cuu be had (or a postal card. Plants 
which thrive only lu warm weather must not 
be put out too early. Wait till the suu comes 
out hot. Tomatoes, squashes, sweet potatoes, 
corn, egg plants, will grow thou as if by magic 
Evergreens. —These are best transplanted 
in spring when the buds are pushing. Do not 
forget the thorough cultivation. 
REPORT OF SORGHUM AND BEET-ROOT 
SUGAR MAKERS’ CONVENTION. 
Gen. Le Due has high hopes of sorghum sugar; 
Prof. Caldwell by no mean dispairs of sugar 
beets; Mr. Stewarl tells of his erperinuads in 
crystalizing cane sugar ; an interesting discus¬ 
sion and conclusions drawn therefrom. 
The Convention called to meet at the Court¬ 
house in Elmira ou the 10th inst. assembled at 
10 a. m. Pres. Hoffman in the chair. The 
meeting was well attended by practical men 
of the immediate locality with a goodly num¬ 
ber from a distance, Coruell University be- 
iug represented by Profs. Roberts, Caldwell, 
Lazenby and Comstock. 
Naturally, the central figure was our Com 
missiouer of Agriculture, Geu. Wm„ G. Le 
Due, who spoke in an informal way for several 
hours, answering many questlous in regard to 
the details of raising various plants adapted 
to the production of sugar. He also set forth 
in plain aud forcible language, the benefits 
to be derived from adding a new industry by 
which we might retain the largo sums now 
paid to foreign nations for that indispensable 
article, sugar. While giving statistics iu re¬ 
gard to the eoustautly Increasing industry of 
growing aud manufacturing the sugar beet 
iu other countries, he called particular atten¬ 
tion to the advancement that had been made 
during the last few years in the crystallization 
of the sorghmu product. Although little bad 
been said, the work had guiie ou, until, he be¬ 
lieved, it was ail assured fact that the caue 
sugar iu sorghum could be as easily granu¬ 
lated and refined as the product of the true 
sugar caue or beet. 
Prof. Caldwell spoke of several aualyses 
which he bad made of beets (as yet unpublished) 
and said that some years since he had tried to 
awaken an iulerest in this subject, but had 
failed to interest capitalists sufficiently so 
that they would embark in the undertaking. 
His opinion was. that the sugar beet is the 
most promising plaut yet tried for Northern 
localities, but that it is not yet settled that 
sugar at present prices can be profitably man- 
facturcd from it, iu this country. He urged 
repeated and thorough triuls which he trusted 
might result in establishing a uew industry 
on a firm basis. 
Mr. F. L. Stewart of Murryville Pa., 
gave an account of some interesting experi¬ 
ments which he had conducted iu making 
sugar from both cornstalks aud sorghum, 
aud claimed that he had discovered a method 
of treating the expressed juice of both plants 
while evaporatiug it, by which from eight to 
nine pounds of good brown caue sugur could 
be produced from a quantity equal to one gal¬ 
lon of deuse sirup. Prof. Englehart, of Syra¬ 
cuse, read a paper composed largely of valu¬ 
able statistics which are for the most part 
available in various published forms. Prof. 
Roberts gave his experience as to the cost 
and methods of raising sorghum, beets, and 
maugolds, aud compared the cost per acre 
with that of corn. Many questions were asked 
and discussed some of which proved too knotty 
for an accurate solution at the present. 
Of these, the following are fair samples: 
How much is a fair yield of gross product 
per aero of sorghum or beets? What is the 
average per cent, of cane sugar in the raw 
product ? What is the average net profit to 
the farmer? While these with many other 
questions could not, in the nature of the case, 
be answered with certainty, yet from the dis¬ 
cussions, I drew the following conclusions: 
That the cost of producing an aere of sorghum 
is equal to that of two acres of corn; that it 
eosis three times as much to harvest the for¬ 
mer as the latter ; that land which will produce 
good corn is adapted to sorghum and will give 
a good yield without extra fertilizers; that a 
good average yield is 100 gallons per acre of 
sirup, weighing 13} pounds per gallon; which 
is, under favorable circumstances, composed 
of cane and grape sugar in the proportion of 
seven to three ; that from this we can obtain 
(if Mr. Stewart is correct) from seven to nine 
pounds of cane sugar per gallon. But our 
best chemists claim that in practice, this 
amount cannot be obtained, us no method has 
been discovered by which grape sugar cau be 
converted into cane sugar. 
The discussion also led to the eonelusious: 
that the prospect is encouraging that sweet 
corn may be very profitably raised by usiug 
the curs in a milky state for drying aud work¬ 
ing the juices of the stalks into sugar; that 
these sugar plants are peculiarly adapted to 
localities of meager summer rain-full; that 
the sugar-beet requires a rich, friable, loamy 
soil not full of undecomposed vegetable mat¬ 
ter, aud that, il the refuse is returned to the 
laud, uo exhaustion of the soil takes place; 
that if root culture becomes commou iu our 
rotation, It will materially Improve the crops 
that follow: that the cost of raising roots ou a 
given area is nearly three times as great as 
that of raisiug corn, with present methods, 
and that we have yet much to learn in econom¬ 
ical production: that there is uo difficulty ou 
limited areas in getting an average yearly yield 
of 30 tons; while on large areas the yield may 
sink to 15 tons aud on extra-fertilized small 
pieces it may rise to 30 or even 40 tons; that the 
manufacturin' can afford to give §5 per ton for 
beets raised under proper conditions, which 
will result in a handsome profit not only to 
purchaser but producer. 
The general feeling among farmers is, that 
most farm products are uow selling at or below 
cost of production, aud that a uew industry 
which promises so well, and which, if success¬ 
ful, would furnish employment for idle labor 
and hoarded capital should be fostered by 
both national and State governments ; that 
instead of building jails and poor-houses we 
had better be employed iu building sugar mills ; 
that the investigation of the intricacies of sugar 
production and the appropriation of money 
therefor, are far higher labors for the true 
statesman than the investigation and spending 
of money for well—something that we al¬ 
ready know all about. r. 
g^iariait. 
PROVIDE HONEY PLANTS FOR PERIODS 
OF SCARCITY. 
There is a period after white clover and 
bass-wood flowers have disappeared, from 
about the middle of July till some time in Au¬ 
gust, when bee pasturage becomes very scarce. 
This is particularly the case in dry seasons and 
in districts not favored with honey plants. 
'The beginuer in bee-keeping may not be 
aware of tbis fact, or of the disadvantages that 
follow; we therefore offer a few suggestions 
as to how these may best be obviated. When¬ 
ever bees are compelled to live ou reduced ra¬ 
tions, the activity of the colony falls off. The 
queen stops laying, aud the rearing of young 
bees consequently cannot go on. But the 
breediug should, under all circumstances, be 
stimulated at that season, so as to have a large 
army to gather honey from the fall flowers, 
and to make the colony strong for wintering. 
Bee-keepers, therefore, during this period of 
scarcity either feed back part of the honey 
gathered earlier in the season, or supply the 
needed pasturage by cultivating plants' that 
will furnish continuous bloom. 
Feeding does well enough; but it is not the 
uortnal state of bees to require feeding. They 
are active. Independent creatures that can be 
in a perfectly thrifty condition, and perfectly 
happy—if we may use the expression—only 
when they gather nectar from the stores of na¬ 
ture. And, besides, feeding causes some trouble 
aud a loss ot honey which they have spent 
time and work iu gathering and the bee-keeper 
iu extracting. The best plan is. therefore, to 
provide a pasturage to carry them through pe¬ 
riods of scarcity. There is a large number of 
honey-producing plants that might be cultivat¬ 
ed for this purpose, many of which we have 
tried: we shall, however, recomuieud ouly 
those wfc consider to be most valuable. 
These are Mignonette, several members of 
the Mint Family aud the (Jrueiferw. Migno- 
nouette, Reseda adoraln, is probably the best 
oue of all, on accouut of its furnishing a con¬ 
tinuous bloom from Juuc until cheeked by the 
autumn frosts. It is very profuse in its yield 
of nectar aud lias the additional quality of per¬ 
fuming the air most deliciously over a large 
area. Next in value we should put the mem¬ 
bers of the Mint Family, and of these especially 
Catnip, NejsAa Cataria, and Motherwort. Leon- 
urus Cardiaca. These do not bloom so long as 
the Mignonette, but while they last they are 
perhaps richer in nectar than the latter. We 
have seen no plant so frequented by bees as 
the Motherwort, and thut at all times, wet aud 
dry. The cruciferous plants, Mustard and 
Rape, arc also good. Rape blooms the earlier, 
and as it is in (lower iu about four weeks from 
the seed, it can be made to furnish a continu¬ 
ous pasturage from June till frost. Seeds of 
these should bu sown now incur the apiary, on 
a patch varying lusize with number of colonies, 
front a few square rods to one acre. Prepare 
the land well and sow them all in rows ; Mig¬ 
nonette about seven inches apart, the Mints 
aud Rape uiue inches, and tall Mustard 18 
inches apart. Catnip and Motherwort are per¬ 
ennial. 
There aie but tew (lowers to bridge the period 
from fruit blossoms to white clover. The 
Honey Locust blooms then aud also White 
Sage. The latter might be cultivated without 
much trouble. 
Industrial Implements. 
THE NEW IRON TURBINE. 
As the value of wind-power becomes better 
known, farmers and suburban residents begin 
to appreciate and avail themselves of its ad¬ 
vantages. As the demand has increased, in¬ 
ventors have set to work improving on the 
old-fashioned wind-tuill until at present one 
would uuver—that is. liardl> ever—suppose 
the latest improvement — the Iron Turbine 
Wiud Engine—bore any relation to the flap¬ 
ping monstrosity against which Don Quixote 
shattered a lance. The greatest objections to 
wind-mills have been their proncuces to blow 
over in a gale of wind, the insufficient quantity 
of water supplied during the calm months, 
owing to slow motion in light winds, and that 
ordinary wear aud tear rendered them useless 
in from two to five years. The subjoined eu- 
gruving of a w iud-eugiue made by Mast, Foos 
cC Co., (Springfield. Ohio, is novel in almost 
every respect aud combines many excellent 
features. The entire machine is made of iron, 
well braced. The turbine principle carried Out 
in the wheel gives great power, and as the 
whole apparatus is fitted with extreme nicety, 
it is compact, durable, not apt to shake to 
pieces in a high wind, shrink or rattle. Nothing 
is added lo its weight over that of other mills 
because it is made of iron, so there can be no 
objection on that score. 
The machinery, or engine proper is con¬ 
structed of the best materials and careful at¬ 
tention is given to details. The explanatory 
diagram of tVJs wind-engine uow before us 
gives a very clear idea of its construction aud 
we think it would interest our readers to send 
for it if only to note the improvement in this 
class of machinery. 
NEW IRON TURBINE WIND MILL. 
