trial of any new fruit will often lead us astray. 
—Eds.] 
Early Harvest and Wilson Jr. blackberry 
plants are not hardy with mo —at least they 
were not last Winter; 20 degrees below zero 
killed them to the ground. Strong shoots are 
coming up now, and if they do not winter 
through 1886-7 1 shall apply the spade at the 
the root. (Early Harvest is not hardy at the 
R. G., aud we fear Wilson Jr. is not.—E ds.] 
Taylor and Snyder are the iron-clads for our 
Buckeye Winters, aud for productive quali¬ 
ties I can see no reason why they should ever 
take second place. E. M. G. 
Dayton, O. 
joined at the top with a SV^-inch bolt of five- 
eighths-inch round iron. The side-bars spread 
three feet at the bottom, and the cross-bars or 
steps are nailed 14 inches apart. The whole 
thing is made of 1x4 inch lumber. The lad¬ 
der can be carried from tree to tree; it will 
stand on uneven ground, and there is no dan¬ 
ger of injuring the limbs or twigs of trees in 
make the wood-work himself. The wheel pins 
and iron stay or clasp are shown at the top 
enlarged, while on the gate itself they are in 
place. An iron strap, marked 1, is nailed on 
the under side of the top board -so that it inns 
over the wheel. The gate runs to the center 
board and then swings open. The lower shank 
with wooden pin prevents stock from lifting 
it. In winter this pin can be put one board 
higher, so that the gate will swing over any 
ordinary snow-bank. 
PLOWING THE EXPERIMENT PLOTS 
AT HOUGHTON FARM. 
REMARKS BY MR. EMERY. 
IN all experiment work, it is essential so keep 
all the conditions possible under control, ex¬ 
cept the one which is the subject of investiga¬ 
tion. This has long been well understood by 
experimenters, and entered into the plan in 
the regular work to be done at Houghton 
Farm, On all plots of ground which are to be 
differently fertilized, every possible condition 
except that of fertilization is made identical. 
To this end, the work on the plots in the field 
is carried on in such a way that an equal 
amount is done on all plots at the same time 
by the same men and teams to insure like 
preparation of the ground and handling 
throughout. For instance, in plowing the 
plots iu the Spring, the furrows run crosswise 
of the pilots, and teams are employed to plow all 
of one series of plots in one day, and each 
team is started so as to do equal amounts of 
work on each pilot, thus equalizing any differ¬ 
ence there may bo in quality of work done; 
they are harrowed the same day; the seed all 
planted on one day; and the hoeing and cul¬ 
tivation are done the same way as the plowing. 
When harvest time comes, the crops are har¬ 
vested in the same way, and all products 
carried over the scales at. that time. This 
gives us the final result as accurately as we can 
attain, with all conditions possible to control, 
except the one under tidal, the same for each 
and every plot. The original condition of the 
plots, as has been stated in a publication of 
the Farm, was very uniform, whatever excep¬ 
tion there was being there stated in full. 
A few paragraphs from our H.F.experiments 
with Indian corn, under the head, “Distribu¬ 
tion of Labor,” are as follows:—''In all experi¬ 
ments with field crops, a uniform distribution 
of the work of preparing the soil, of cultiva¬ 
ting the crop during its period of active 
growth, and of harvesting, not only as to the 
amount of effective labor upon each plot, hut 
also as to the time of performance, is a matter 
of great importance. 
The same amount of labor on adjacent pilots, 
if performed at different times, even if but a 
single night intervenes, may give quite differ¬ 
ent results if but a moderate shower or other 
climatic change occurs in the interval; and 
variations in the crop, from differences in per¬ 
forming particular operations, have been ob¬ 
served without any other apparent cause. 
From the hygrometric properties of both the 
ears and stalks of Indian corn, a difference of 
a single day in the time of hai’vesting and 
weighing may make important differences in 
the apparent yield. 
Without further details in the way of illus¬ 
tration, it is safe to say that too much care 
cannot be exercised in securing uniformity in 
all operations performed on the plots under 
experiment, aud that lack of attention to what 
may be deemed trivial or unimportant details, 
may not only diminish the value of experi¬ 
ments, but render their results worthless. To 
save repetition,under the different heads of this 
report, a general outline of the system adopted 
in conducting the experiments to secure uniform 
conditions will be given here. The plowing 
and preparation of the soil are always done in 
the same direction, crosswise of the plots, so 
that each receives the same treatment. 
In plowing, three reams were employed, so 
that the work for each series of plots could be 
done without hurry in one day, but they were 
changed in rotation from land to land so that 
each team did the same amount of w’ork on 
each half plot. From this arrangement, if 
there w T ere any difference in the holding of the 
plows, or in their performance, or in the speed 
of the teams, each plot would receive its fair 
share of the labor perfoi'med. 
In planting, cultivating, hand-hoeing aud 
harvesting, the same method of crossing the 
plots in each operation was practiced.” 
A paragraph from the same pamphlet, under 
Field Experiments, says “ From the very 
nature of the complex conditions involved in 
all experiments in the feeding of animals and 
with growing crops iu the field, the import¬ 
ance of the greatest care in conducting them, 
and a thorough verification of results by fre¬ 
quent repetition on a well-devised plan, to 
check the disturbing influence of the many 
conditions that are not under the control of the 
experimenter, cannot be too strongly urged.” 
placing it. 
STORING HAY 
G. Pelton & Sons, of Sauk Co. Wis., send 
us a description of their method of unloading 
hay. This is illustrated at Fig. 274. In the 
instance given the hay is stored in a barrack. 
EXPERIENCE WITH SMALL FRUITS. 
In the Rural’s remarks on strawberries 
the Parker Earle has been mentioned. It has 
PRES. LYON’S STRAWBERRY NOTES. 
The first strawberries this season were 
Alpha, on Juuo 1st. This has now, for several 
years, shown itself to be the earliest really 
valuable strawberry with me. Early Canada 
may sometimes be a day earlier; but Alpha is 
larger, more productive and of finer flavor; 
while the hardiness aud vigor of the plant of 
the latter are all that need be desired. Metcalf 
and Crystal City may, perchance, tie a day el¬ 
even two earlier; but their lack of size, and 
extreme unproductiveness have ruled them 
out, and I abandoned them several years 
since. 
Alpha, Maggie, Bright Ida and Arnold’s 
Pride, which ripen successively in the order 
named, are all seedlings (in Che second genera¬ 
tion) of the late Charles Arnold of Ontario, 
from a cross of Wilson upon the foreign vari¬ 
ety, Dr. Nicaise; and are again, this season, 
as for several years past, surprising me with 
their fine size, fair quality and great product¬ 
iveness. Jewell, Parry aud Cornelia are fruit¬ 
ing heavily; but I doubt if either of these— 
even the Jewell—cau be said to excel the for¬ 
mer in vigor or productiveness. 
Howell, a new variety of the history of 
which I am ignorant, ripened along with Cres¬ 
cent, on the second day after Alpha, and 
were soon followed by Philadelphia, Nieanor, 
Duchess, Duncan, Maggie, Bidwoll and many 
others about in the above order. 
The Alpha, last season, ripened its first 
fruit on June 18th; or about t wo weeks later 
than this year. Parr}- shewed its first ripe 
fruit this season on June 11th. The plant 
shows a moderate degree of vigor; and is 
more than maintaining its last season’s reputa¬ 
tion for productiveness, as well as for the size, 
beauty and high quality of the fruit. 
South Haven, Mich. t. t. lyon. 
A..A/-X 
A GOOD GATE. Fig. 273 
fruited this year with me, and I shall stick to 
it, for some time at least. The fruit is large, 
and, when fully ripe, of a light-red color, re¬ 
taining for a long time a firmness not often 
seen in so largo a berry. It. is productive, 
‘‘perfect’-flowered, and a plant of this vari¬ 
ety could be selected from among a thousand 
other sorts on account of its variagated or 
yellowish blotched foliage; but I find no fault 
on that score, as it is one of the rankest of 
groweis, thrift}- aud upright, 
On the Rural’s repeated recommendation 
I purchased, last Winter, four dozen plants of 
Jewell, put them in the hot-bed, gave them 
but the same principle can be employed in un¬ 
loading hay into almost any building. A rope 
•JO feet long, is fastened to the hay fork and 
slipped through the iron pulley, «. It is then 
passed up through the pulley, b, which is fast¬ 
ened at the peak of the roof. Then it passes 
down though a to c and d where it is attached 
to the horse. A strong post holds the pulleys 
at c and cf. This system is simple, easily 
rigged, will save much lifting and expense 
for hay earriei-s. 
FRUIT LADDER. 
Mr. D. J. Bowling, of Harrison Co., Cud, 
Ripening and Preserving of Fruits. —At 
a late meeting of the Massachusetts Horticul¬ 
tural Society, Hon. Marshall P. Wilder read a 
very valuable paper on the “Ripening and 
Preservation of Fruits.” The preservation of 
apples through the winter months is now pretty 
well understood, but with the pear, grape, and 
other delicate fruits more care is requisite. 
The ripening of fruit depends on saccharine 
fermentation; this is followed by the vinous 
and acetous fermentations. To prevent these, 
aud preserve fruit in all its beauty, freshness, 
and flavor, the temperature must be uniform, 
aud kept below the degree at which the fer¬ 
mentation or ripening process commences. 
Mi-. Robert Mauuing, in a prize essay, said, 
“The ripening of fruit is the completion of the 
chemical process by which starch is trans¬ 
formed into sugar, and is the first step toward 
fermentation, or decay; therefore, whatever 
retards fermentation will tend to its preser¬ 
vation.” 
Late fruits may remain on the trees until 
severe frosts are feared, but should bo gather¬ 
ed with great cure. Summer pears should be 
picked some days before the ripening process 
commences. A summer pear ripened upon 
the tree is generally inferior. In respect to 
the latter Mr. Patrick Barry says: “The pro 
cess of ripening on the tree, which is the nat¬ 
ural one, seems to act upon the fruit for the 
benefit of the seed, as it tends to the forma¬ 
tion of woody fibre and farina. When the 
fruit is removed from the tree at the com¬ 
mencement of ripening, and placed iu a still 
atmosphere, the natural process seems to be 
counteracted, and sugar and juice are elabor¬ 
ated instead of fiber aud farina.” Thus pears 
which become mealy and rot at the core if 
loft on the tree to ripen, are juicy, melting 
and delicious when ripened in the house. 
With the increase of fruits their preservation 
iu the most perfect condition has become a 
matter of great importance. 
About 20 years ago several patents were 
secured for the preservation aud long keeping 
STORING HAY 
extra good eare, put down every sucker, and 
now I have over 700 plants. Some of the old 
ones fruited, and were fertilized from Sharp¬ 
less and Prince. They were extremely pro¬ 
ductive of fiue,large, well formed berries, had 
a sprightly, sub-acid lluvor, aud 1 think they 
have come to stay. 
I wish I could talk loud enough to make 
every raspberry grower in Uncle Sam's do¬ 
main hear me call "Marlboro.” My “patch’’ 
of them is a sight to see. Although only put 
out last Spring, they are loaded down with 
large fruit of extra-good size, fine flavor, and 
in my opinion far better than Hausell or 
Turner, and equally early. Entirely hardy 
on my not very rich ground. [A single, year’s 
finds the fruit ladder shown at Fig. 277 a very 
handy implement. He used it in gathering 
A GOOD gate. 
The gate shown at Fig. 273, is the property 
of Mr. Bradford Bruce of Niagara Co., N. Y. 
He calls it the best gate in the world. How 
many of our readers are ready to agree with 
him? The drawing fully shows the way in 
which it is constructed. One can see at a 
glance how it is supposed to work. The iron 
work can be bought and the farmer can easily 
Fig. 277. 
plums, cherries, etc. Two side-bars, each 7^ 
feet long, and one brace eight feet long, are all 
i 
