THE BUBAL NEW-Y@B§CEB 
s 
Rose in Michigan, thus rendering it necessary 
to consume the crop at home. In localities 
where the local demand is small, the only 
course left for the farmer to pursue is to feed 
his crop to his stock, and this is being done 
in hundreds of instances. The loss to the 
shippers and growers of the State will un¬ 
doubtedly exceed $100,000. 
Prof. Wagner publishes analyses in support 
of his conclusion that steamed potatoes are far 
more nutritious than boiled ones. In the 
process of boiling, the vegetables give up con¬ 
siderable portions of nutritious salts, while 
they also take up more water than when 
steamed, and become proportionately weaker. 
A singular sort of manure for potato fields 
has been introduced on a Pomerian model 
farm. Hitherto herrings and potatoes have 
been known as a palatable dish in family 
households. The manager of the farm in 
question has hit upon the idea of blending 
them from the start, by planting his seed 
potatoes with a herring placed in eveiy heap, 
and noth so decided a success as to cause him 
to increase the area thus planted from 20 acres 
last year to 60 in the present one. The expense 
he calculates at about nine marks ($2.25) per 
acre, which is cheaper than the cost of any 
other kind of manure, and amply repays the 
outlay. Of course, it can only lie employed 
near the sea coast ............... 
The Western Rural advises farmers to feed 
potatoes occasionally. The small refuse pota¬ 
toes will do the sheep, and especially the breed¬ 
ing ewes a great deal of good. There is no use 
that can be made of small potatoes that will 
do as well as for the feeder. Cut them up and 
sprinkle meal over them. The object to be 
gained is principally to furnish moisture, and 
where grain is heing fed, to furnish bulk. The 
potato is highly valuable for furnishing bulk 
to ourselves, In fact, that is the greatest value 
it has as an article of food. 
A writer in the Country Gentleman, who 
witnessed the horrible effects of the ] iota to rot 
in Ireland in 1847, says that the black, putrid 
vines covered the soil; the earth was filled with 
rotten tubers, and the stench w'as almost over¬ 
powering,even to those who had been used to the 
wards of a large hospital and to the odors of a 
dissecting room. Dead corpses lay on the road¬ 
sides, wretched cabins became the vaults in 
which whole families lay dead and decompos¬ 
ing : dead mothers were to be seen as they had 
sat on the roadside, nursing their infants, which 
still hung upon the cold breast. There is no 
danger of our witnessing such a spectacle in 
our own country, yet a total destruction of 
the potato crop throughout New England 
would produce untold suffering. 
In the book, “How the Farm Pays,” Mr. 
Crozier says be would r ather feed potatoes to 
cattle than to sell them for less than 40 cents 
per bushel. Both Mr. Crozier and Mi - . Hen¬ 
derson oppose the practice of cutting pota¬ 
toes to single eyes. Mr. Crozier finds the best 
success where large potatoes are cut straight 
through, from top to butt in two pieces.... 
Cofrijin Ijcrt, 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
California. 
Carpenteria, Santa Barbara Co., Dec. 29. 
—The winter season never commenced more 
favorably in California for the farmer. About 
the middle of November we bad a very fine 
rain for seven or eight days, which gave us 
over 10 inches of water, and during December 
enough more to make 12 inches up to date. 
The weather has been warm, so grain and 
grass have a fine start. Most of our crops 
were light ou account of dry weather during 
the growing season. Prices low, but we have 
plenty of the good things of life and no reason 
to complain. Some of the apple trees are in 
full bloom and many bushels of apples are still 
on the ground and trees. o. n, o, 
Illinois. 
Anna, Union Co. — The Thousand¬ 
fold Rye and Diehl-Mediterranean Wheat al¬ 
most all froze last Winter, but I gathered 
about one dozen heads of rye and enough 
wheat to yield about half a pint of grain. The 
crossed corn did not succeed. Carter’s Strata¬ 
gem Pea did fairly well, j. m. f. 
Shelbyville, Shelby Co.—Some of the 
Rural peas were the largest I ever saw. The 
beans w'ere nice but rather small. Corn ex¬ 
cellent. Saved seeds from all to plant. The 
Garden Treasures were an extra-nice mixture 
and did well. I rather think we shall have to 
give up Sorghum halapense, as it failed to 
show itself. van d. 
Indiana. 
Mexioo, Miami Co., January 5.—We are 
having a very mild, open Winter. Stock of 
all kinds in prime condition; health good. 
Growing wheat looking well. Market lower 
than at any time since thrashing. Wheat 85 
cents; corn of good quality, 30 cents. N. B. 
Kansas. 
Elk Falls, Elk Co.—We have taken the 
“Rural” two years and think it the best 
agricultural paper we have ever seen. We 
were visited in the Spring by a terrible flood, 
which destroyed all the crops in the valli^ s, 
to say nothing of property washed away and 
stock drowned. Further on in the season a 
destructive hailstorm passed over a part of 
our locality: and, lastly, the web-worm came 
to complete the destruction, so that Winter 
finds us importing corn from other localities 
to feed stock, which is at such a low price, 
that many farmers will be broken. M. e. n. 
Florence, Marion Co., January 1,—We had 
the finest Fall I ever saw—very pleasant and 
warm. We had about two weeks of winter 
weather, and six or seven inches of snow in 
the fore part of December. Snow all gone 
now. Weather fine; roads good. Crops of 
all kinds were good; but prices are very low. 
Cattle, about three cents per pound; hogs, 
three cents to three-and-one-half cents; corn, 
35 cents; oats, 20 cents: hay, $2.00 per ton, in 
stack: butter, 20 cents; eggs, 20 cents; pota¬ 
toes, $1.00; apples, $1.00 to $1.50. The Rural 
seeds did well, except the beans. j, j. a. 
Fort Scott, Bourbon Co., Dec. 29. 
—We are having an old-fashioned Winter in 
Kansas—warm and pleasant. But little rain 
since October, and farmers secured their com 
in good order. Corn, 30 cents per bushel, 
oats, 20 cents; wheat, 90 cents. Business good: 
money a little tight on account of low prices 
of stock; good steel's, 3.hj cents; hogs, 3^ 
cents: fat sheep, three cents; potatoes, 40 
cents to 60 cents; apples, 40 cents to ,60 cents; 
butter, 30 cents; eggs, 20 cents. 
Maryland. 
Easton, Talbot Co.—We had a very 
favorable season for seeding wheat; area 
seeded up to the average, and the crop looks 
well. Relying upon the good judgment and 
candid statements of the Rural, several farm¬ 
ers of Talbot were encouraged to try the 
Diehl-Mediterranean Wheat. It proved hardy, 
vigorous, ripened “on time,” and yielded more 
than Fultz grown on the same farms. I seeded 
none but the Diehl-Mediterranean, and know 
of others who did likewise. I expect to follow 
the advice of the Rural, and select heads 
from the field. My wheat is now iu a very 
robust condition. I used a drill tooth attach¬ 
ment, which works on the principle of a sled 
runner, covering the grain at a uniform 
depth with fine soil, and the plants all 
appeal ed at the same time. Mine was corn 
ground, plowed and dressed by the Acme 
harrow, and drilled two ways. The fallow¬ 
like appearance of my field, I attribute to the 
regular track of the drill teeth, the shallow 
and complete covering of the seed, which 
could not have been done on freshly plowed 
corn ground, with the drill teeth jumping and 
delving from “none” to several inches deep. 
This improvement or “reform,” I might call 
it, will greatly increase the yield of wheat to¬ 
gether with the new hardy variety above 
mentioned. I lrnve many things to thank the 
Rural for, among which are the Beauty of 
Hebron and Blush Potatoes, together with 
several valuable varieties of garden seeds. 
4«Y 11 
Mansnchtigett#. 
Bechertown, Hampshire Co—The cross¬ 
bred corn grew to all sizes, both stalks mid 
ears; some flint, some dent, some early and 
some late. I have saved a very handsome 
string of it for seed. The peas, beans and to¬ 
matoes did well and are mostly saved for seed. 
Garden Treasures were very pretty and much 
admired. e. r. 
Westfield, Hampden Co.—Last. Summer I 
tested the Rural method of planting potatoes 
with level cultivation with good results, hav¬ 
ing raised Rural Blush Potatoes at the rate of 
500 bushels per acre. The yield was twice as 
great as I had ever grown on the same land by 
the old method of planting and cultivation. 
Land a light sandy loam. The potatoes were 
very fine and free from scab. From observa¬ 
tion in previous years, I believe that scab is 
caused by the potato slug. I notice that where 
the slug is allowed to eat off the leaves in the 
latter part of the season, the vines die pre¬ 
maturely. j. l. s. 
Michigan. 
Calkinsville, Isabella Co.—The Rural 
corn grew all right, but was too late. Some 
of the stalks had six ears set, but it would 
require 150 days from planting to mature. 
The Prince of Wales Pea did well; saved all 
for seed. The Rural New-Yorker Pea of two 
years ago is the earliest and most prolific of 
any I have ever tried. The Horsford Market 
Garden is better flavored. The Flageolet 
Beans are very prolific and whiter than the 
seed sent me. In flavor they are not as good 
as Lima. Winter wheat is looking very well, 
but has a small top. Farmers could not sow 
early on account of wet weather at seeding time. 
The Diehl-Mediterranean Wheat did very well 
last year; I had nearly one peck and took 
extra care to put it away from the hens; but 
the mice ate half of it. I sowed the balance 
and it is looking splendid. The tomatoes 
grew finely, but were of poor flavor and rotted 
badly. Times are very hard. Everything 
fanners have to sell is low. Wheat, 80 cents; 
oats, 30 cents; hay, $8.Of) to $10.00 per ton; po¬ 
tatoes, 25 cents per bushel, about half grown 
here rotted. r. m. 
Bath, Clinton Co.—The White Elephant 
Potato is a big cropper and in good demand; 
price from 25 to 30 cents a bushel. My Sur¬ 
prise Wheat can’t be beat; it takes the lead of 
anything here. I sowed all I had last Fall— 
about nine bushels. Cleveland’s Rural New- 
Yorker Pea is good. Tho Black Champion 
Oats are too late. Of the Rural com for 1884 
some yellow dent was early and good; some 
wanted 12 months to mature in. The Garden 
Treasures were not very interesting. 
w. c. 
Schoolcraft Co.—The Rural seeds did 
very well, except the mixed corn, which grew 
too large to mature. Prince of Wales Pea 
very fine; also the Johnson Grass. T. C. 
Sunfield, Eatou Co.—The Rural mixed 
com was too late for this section. The beans, 
peas, tomatoes and Garden Treasures were 
tip-top. w. s. 
South Lyon, Oakland Co.—Wheat, 86 
cents; com, 40 cents; oats, 3*5 cents; potatoes, 
30 cents; clover seed, $5; butter, 15 cents; 
eggs, 20 cents: live hogs, $3.35; poultry low. 
Beaus dull, at about $1. Wheat went into 
Winter looking bad. Farm stock, except good 
horses, are lower than for several years, h. 
Minnesota. 
Grove Lake, Pope Co., Jan. 4.—My Blush 
potatoes did well I now have 75 bushels. 
The Rural wheat and rye were winter-killed. 
This is a spring wheat county. The corn and 
oats were boo late. Mixed corn ditto, but the 
beans and peas did very well. The Garden 
Treasures were very nice. I raised 32 bushels 
of the Saskatchewan Wheat to the acre. 
D. s. 
Montana. 
Fridley, Gallatin Co.— I have resided here 
nearly three years, and find the climate and 
everything else agrees with me. The people 
East have always lieen ignorant of the climate 
and soil of Montana, especially of the Yellow¬ 
stone, Gallatin, Jefferson and Madison Valleys. 
We beat the world here on wheat, oats and 
barley, Gallatin County, this year, will aver¬ 
age over 40 bushels of wheat to the acre. I 
have seen some fields that ran over 60. The 
past season has been grand for all kiuds of 
crops. Cora is not considered a safe crop, but 
the past season it would have done well as we 
had no frost from May 1 until Septemlx-r 10. 
I raised plenty in the garden for home use and 
had splendid tomatoes. Wild raspberries, wild 
currants and gooseberries grow here in abun¬ 
dance; so do wild strawberries. But the farm¬ 
ers here have heretofore given very little at¬ 
tention to gardening, as their dollars were in 
cattle and horse raising, which has been a very 
profitable business, and a first-class lazy man 
can attend to a large herd. All ho has to do 
is round up in Spring and Fall, and brand and 
select out such as may be wanted for sale or 
use. The surrounding ranges feed them with 
the fine Bunch and Rye Grasses that grow boun¬ 
tifully. One party near me has 1,500 head of 
horses and mules on the range. Another party 
has two or three thousand head of cattle. Al¬ 
most every one has some. b. p. 
Nebraska. 
Crete, Saline Co.—My mixed Cora did 
finely. Cora as a general thing was good. I 
head 150 acres which averaged 50 bushels per 
acre. My Blush Potatoes did splendidly. I 
never saw better. The Rural Tomatoes did 
well. Corn is not nearly all gathered, and is 
cheap—18 cents. Clover and Timothy do well 
here—quite extensive crops. m. b. n. 
Syracuse, Otoe Co.—Some of the Rural 
corn was early; some late; all got ripe; but 
it is too small for a field crop. The peas were 
nice. Most of the tomatoes were small. The 
The King Humlx-rt was very line-flavored— 
the best I ever ate. D. e. s. 
New York. 
Howell’S, Orange Co.—The Diehl-Mediter¬ 
ranean Wheat is something remarkable; the 
heads beat anything I evei saw. It wintered 
out badly, but what there was is fine. It was 
the finest wheat shown at our county fair, and 
there was a good exhibition of other varieties. 
The King Humbert Tomato is not worth rais¬ 
ing; it would take about a thousand of them 
to fill a peck measure, Corn this season is 
good, The cross-bred com was of all varieties 
and sizes. I counted four ears on some stalks; 
some ripened early, and some did not ripen at 
all. The Thousand-fold Rye is no better t han, 
if as good as, the rye raised iu this section; it 
wintered out badly, and what was left,^both 
straw and heads, proved to be short. Flageo¬ 
let Beans tough and stringy; of little use for 
the table. The Peas were excellent; the hens 
preferred them to all others. h. b. 
Volney, Oswego Co., Jan. 6.—The past 
Summer was cold and wet. Grass and oats 
pretty good crops. Cora light and not matured. 
Potatoes rotted badly; some fields not worth 
digging—worth 40 to 50 cents per bushel. But¬ 
ter 16 to 18 ceuts per pound. Eggs 20 cents per 
dozen. Winter quite open, only a few days’ 
sleighing in December. Snow falling again 
this morning. H. C. H. 
Ohio. 
Atwater, Portage Co., Dec. 28.—From the 
Rural’s Diehl-Mediterraueon Wheat I got 
about three quarts, which I sowed this Fall aud 
it- is lookiug quite well. The corn is, most of 
it, too late for us. Crops the past season were 
about an average. Owing to the wet, cold 
Fall, com did not ripen well, so much of it is 
soft. Apples were plentiful at from 75 cents 
to $1.20 per barrel. Wheat now brings 90 
cents. o. m. 
Bellefontaine, Logan Co.—The Rural corn 
ripened from September 1st to October 1st,but 
the grain and ears were almost all too small, 
though this was partly made up by the num¬ 
ber of ears, ranging from two to five. The 
Prince of Wales Peas were very fine and pro¬ 
ductive. The Stratagem did not do so well, 
being late. The beaus were almost a failure, 
although grown with the peas. The Rural 
com of 1884 tried this year, ripened early and 
was fine—only a little too flinty. The Market 
Garden are A No, 1, very productive and extra 
in quality. m. 
Waynesville, Warren Co,—The Rural 
Cora ripened but it is too small for this local¬ 
ity ; will not yield anything like the Learning. 
The j>eas mildewed badly. The tomatoes were 
very fine. The beans are not as good as some 
we have; The Cleveland Rural New-Yorker 
Pea is best with us. j. l. s. 
Pennsylvania. • 
Clark, Mercer Co., January 2.—We bad 
a very wet Autumn and the fields and roads 
were so soft much of the time that farmers were 
greatly hindered with their work, and con¬ 
siderable corn is yet in the fields. The hay 
crop was about an average. Oats good. 
Wheat very poor. Potatoes rotted badly, 
which left a light crop. Price 40 cents per 
bushel. Cora, only an average crop, 25 cents 
per bushel. Beef, plenty and cheap—five to 
seven cents per pound by the quarter. Pork 
plenty, about five cents per pound. Butter, 
20 cents; eggs, about the same. An average 
crop of wheat sown; looking well, n. l. 
Goshen, Lancaster Co,, January 1,—The 
Rural peas and beans did nicely. The com 
did not amount to much. The Garden Treas¬ 
ures were splendid, there being many varieties 
of flowers we had never seen. n. h. 
ScOttsville, Wyoming Co.—The past sea¬ 
son was one of the worst for a number of 
years. Corn about half a crop and worth 50 
cents per bushel. Oats, 40 cents; wheat, $1; 
potatoes, 40 cents; hay, $13 per ton. Cattle 
plenty aud very cheap—can’t be sold at any 
price Rural corn too late for this section; 
other seeds did well. Tried a small plat of 
potatoes on Rural plan and raised twice as 
much as I did by the old way. j. g. f. 
Muncy, Lycoming Co.—The Stratagem aud 
Prince of Wales Peas were very line, we have 
saved all for seed. The Flageolet Beans were 
very nice. The Garden Treasures came up 
well, but the cold rains killed many of them. 
J. R. b. 
Rhode Island. 
Gloucester, Providence Co.—The Rural 
com all came up well, but the “farmer’s 
frieud” pulled up eveiy spear. Peas did very 
well. Tomatoes all killed by frost about Sep¬ 
tember 1st. The beaus promised a large yield, 
but a woodchuck ate off all the leaves, and 
the beans ripened before they were grown. 
The Johnson Grass grew about five foot high, 
but one spear was seven feet nine inches in 
the main head, being the only one that ma¬ 
tured. Blush aud White Elephant Potatoes 
were very uiee aud gave a good yield. The 
Beaut)’ of Hebron. Pearl of Savoy, King of 
the Earlios aud Early Rose were so badly 
affected with scab that out of 60 bushels I only 
got eight bushels smooth enough for market. 
Many of them were covered with blotches or 
scab so thickly that uot a spot of the skin was 
to be seen, and where they were left on the 
ground, in a week they had all perished, 
leaving nothing but a little diy, hard lump. 
All of these potatoes were planted in the same 
field; the two first kiuds were smooth and 
handsome, yielding 114 bushels. “L.” 
Tennessee. 
Ricevii.i.e, MeMiun Co.—Our wheat crop 
was not more than a quarter of an average. 
I sowed one bushel each of the Mediterranean 
and Laudreth’s White Wheats; they stood the 
Winter all light, while other kiuds were more 
or less winter-killed or frozen out entirely. 
The mixed corn is not of much account, ex- 
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