718 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
October 27 
deavors to economize feed by warmly housing our ani¬ 
mals, has been one of the most prolific causes of the 
spread of tuberculosis, which has so ravaged our 
herds in recent years. Inis ventilating system fur¬ 
nishes another illustration wherein something of the 
utmost importance involves but little expense. 
COW AND CALF.—Another point of interest in con¬ 
nection with the stables was the fact that promise 
and performance do not necessarily go hand in hand. 
The dairyman will at once say that that is just the 
thing to be expected; that the trim, plump cow, with 
smooth outline cannot be expected to be a good milk¬ 
er. Yet to my surprise, just such a cow, with a de¬ 
cidedly thick neck, a cow which I should have passed 
by as of the wrong type for a dairy cow, was pointed 
out as holding one of the high records of the herd. 
It should be said, however, that no cow in the herd 
is of a decidedly “wrong type.” That expression is 
used in a comparative sense only. In speaking of calf 
feeding Superintendent Royce said that they had 
abandoned all proprietary foods. He believes that 
every farmer should have gumption enough to study 
out a properly-balanced ration provided from common 
feeds, which will give as good results with less ex¬ 
pense. The farm at Ellerslie is decidedly uneven and 
rolling, and as a result of the unprecedented drought 
the meadows and pastures were dry and brown. Yet 
with 80 acres of corn which would soon be ready for 
the silos there was no apprehension for the Winter. 
Corn and grass are the leaders. The care shown in 
preserving the woodland on the place is a delight to 
friends of forestry. 
A PRACTICAL MAN’S FARM.—The next farm 
visited was that of Edward Van Alstyne, of Kinder- 
hook. This is a farm of an entirely different type 
from that at Ellerslie, because run by a practical man 
on a practical basis. Mr. Van Alstyne was thrashing 
with his own outfit, and was just then having trouble 
with his engine because the “inspirator” refused to 
work. The straw was being baled and sold at once. 
Several incidental jobs were under way to occupy the 
time of the men until the engine could be put in work¬ 
ing order. Mr. Van Alstyne remarked incidentally 
that it did not take long to fool away a dollar or two, 
with several men standing around and waiting. Just 
this value of time and the importance of utilizing it 
to the best advantage is a point wherein we often fail. 
It is one of the things which may turn the scale be¬ 
tween success and failure. The engine naturally led 
to a discussion of farm power. On this point Mr. Van 
Alstyne can speak with experience, since he uses this 
engine, which burns wood or coal, for general farm 
work, a kerosene engine in his dairy-room, and has a 
tread power, standing in a shed, which has been large¬ 
ly used in me past. He considers the wood and coal 
engine the most satisfactory. He says that there is 
no economy in using a kerosene or gasoline engine on 
the farm, because there is always refuse wood of lit¬ 
tle value which will help to supply fuel. He also feels 
that with business done as it is in these days the 
tread power does not wholly fill the bill, though a 
great deal of work has been done with the one he has. 
SOME SiLO POINTS.—The board silos, with plank 
girders outside, afford a good illustration of economi¬ 
cal silo building, where the silo can be built inside 
the barn. Mr. Van Alstyne says that in one point his 
views are not strictly orthodox in regard to silo con¬ 
struction, for he would prefer one large silo to the 
two which he has. In his experience he finds very 
little waste in feeding from a large surface, but when 
the large silo is exhausted and the smaller one is 
opened, there is sure to be a considerable time when 
poor silage must be fed. He uses a No. 16 Ohio si¬ 
lage cutter without traveling feed table. He says 
that with that size, which is large enough for farm 
work, the bundles which come from the corn harvester 
must be separated, and since that is true he believes 
the traveling table to possess little advantage over 
the stationary, while there is just so much more ma¬ 
chinery liable to get out of order. 
The cellar is well equipped, apparently, with all 
essential but no non-essential facilities for butter¬ 
making. The butter is put up in prints and sold to 
dealers in New York and elsewhere on the basis of 
one cent above quotations for western creamery on 
track at his station, if I remember correctly. When 
asked whether the dairy paid as well as the fruit Mr. 
Van Alstyne said that it did not; yet it enabled him 
to utilize the products of the farm as a whole to bet¬ 
ter advantage than he could do without it. 
SOD ORCHARDS.—The orchards consist largely of 
apples and pears. Here again Mr. Van Alstyne holds 
one ©pinion which he characterized as heterodox, for 
his older orchards are in sod. He gives as the reason 
for this that he has sometimes had fruit when those 
whose orchards are tilled had none, hence he is in¬ 
clined to hold to the sod. In regard to varieties, he 
believes that too many Baldwins have been planted. 
He has grafted some young trees of that variety to 
more desirable ones. He regards Sutton highly, and 
is trying York Imperial and even Ben Davis. A few 
hours spent with such a farmer as Mr. Van Alstyne 
will prove a highly profitable investment to any young 
farmer who has his eyes, ears and mind open. Even 
old farmers might profit thereby. fred w. card. 
HOW TO STORE WINTER CABBAGE. 
A Good Pit or Cellar. 
Dig a pit 12x32 feet, 3% feet deep, outside measure. 
Lay wall either of stone or brick 12 inches thick, and 
18 inches above ground, which makes a wall 4% feet 
high from bottom of pit to top of sill. For sills use 
2x12 pine plank. The earth from pit should be used 
to grade up to top of wall outside, giving a good slope 
to turn water and protect wall above ground from 
frost. A plan of the pit is shown at Fig. 273. For the 
roof run a ridge pole 3x5 inches the entire length of 
building, flat side down on four 4x4 chestnut or oak 
posts. These posts should be put into the ground a 
few inches at bottom, and set on a fiat stone. For 
the roof I find it best to use good pine 1x12 and cap 
joint with 1x6, nailed to ridge pole and the sill, which 
is convenient to take off when filling the house. The 
heads can be tossed direct from the wagon down to 
the men placing them in the pit; it is also handy to 
clean and air in Spring. Otherwise, with any other 
style of roof it is considerable expense and labor to 
carry the cabbage in from door at end of pit. 
The center post to support ridge pole as above men¬ 
tioned should be boarded up on both sides, leaving 
a three or four-inch space between each board up to 
roof, thus leaving a good air space. Also have three 
ventilators six inches square, made of inch boards 
run up two feet above roof. In warm weather leave 
door open at end and top of ventilators, which gives 
perfect circulation, of course in severe cold weather 
it is closed as tight as possible. At the end have one 
door large enough to go in either side of the pit; also 
covered steps with an outside door. When severe 
cold weather sets in we usually cover roof with strong 
horse manure. In our 30 years experience we spent 
considerable money, to say nothing about the loss of 
thousands and thousands of heads of cabbage, experi¬ 
menting. But the above described building has given 
entire satisfaction. Last season was a hard one to 
keep vegetables on account of so much warm weather, 
but in this style of building we had no trouble to keep 
cabbage in perfect condition until May 1. On cleaning 
out the pit about June 1 I was surprised to find a few 
heads that had been overlooked come out in almost 
as perfect shape as the day they were stored. 
Experience has taught us that no matter how per¬ 
fect the building may be, if cabbage is handled rough¬ 
ly and not properly cured before storing it will not 
keep. I find that it pays to selept only good, sound 
stock for Winter. It should be cut off the stump, 
heads turned bottomside up to let water run out, and 
head seal over when it has been cut from tne stump, 
which requires at least five hours of sunshine. Our 
cabbage is trimmed as close and with as much care 
for storing as if it were going to market. Stump and 
dead leaves only cause decay; besides they take up 
too much valuable space, and cause more labor to 
handle crop. Besides the leaves and stumps left 
standing in the field usually bring from $5 to $10 an 
acre for cow feed, on the ground; if stored 90 per 
cent of this feed is lost. The size I have given you is 
about right for two acres of very large flat cabbage. 
It will hold three acres of ordinary Danish, or the same 
of ordinary flat. a. g. miller. 
Elmira, N. Y. 
A DISCUSSION OF THE GROUT BILL . 
One of our readers sends us .a report of an inter¬ 
view with Mr. Charles Ward, who has been nomi¬ 
nated for Congress in opposition to J. W. Wadsworth. 
We give space to a portion of this interview because 
it seems to us that Mr. Ward states the case fairly. 
The reporter asked the questions, and Mr. Ward an¬ 
swered tnem: 
“I suppose you are familiar with the oleomargarine 
bill, introduced in Congress by Mr. Grout of Vermont?" 
"Yes,” responded Mr. Ward; "in my canvass I have 
become quite familiar with the arguments for and against 
the bill.” 
"It is claimed by Mr. Wadsworth that the tax of 10 
cents per pound as proposed by the Grout bill would, if 
enacted into law, destroy the oleomargarine manufac¬ 
tures.” 
"I think the statement is overdrawn. If oleomargarine 
or butterine has any merit in itself this tax will in no 
sense repress the manufacture of the article. The tax of 
10 cents per pound is not levied unless the manufacturer 
introduces coloring matter, so, therefore, the tax is not 
to repress the manufacturer, but is for the purpose of 
repressing a fraud, for it is a fraud to introduce color¬ 
ing matter into this article and call on the hotel keeper 
and boarding house keepers to purchase a counterfeit 
that comes into direct competition with a genuine product 
of the farm and dairy. 
“Of course, the hotel keeper and boarding house keepers 
would not purchase oleo if uncolored by the introduction 
of coloring matter. The fraud is imposed upon the un¬ 
suspecting public. This bill not only protects the dairy¬ 
men, but indirectly protects the public.” 
“Do you believe that oleo would be manufactured to 
any great extent if the manufacturer is compelled to sell 
it in its natural form uncolored?” 
“I am not a manufacturer and cannot answer from any 
knowledge of my own upon that subject, but it seems to 
me that if it is true as the manufacturers claim that 
there is a demand for a cheap substitute for butter, 
those who desire a cheap substitute will purchase the 
uncolored article just the same.” 
We are assured by personal friends of Mr. Ward 
that he is sincere in this expression of opinion. That 
being the case, he is certainly a better friend of the 
dairyman than is Mr. Wadsworth, who seems to feel 
that the ^O-cent tax would destroy the oleo industry. 
We do not believe this, but we do believe that it 
would destroy the fraudulent character of the busi¬ 
ness. 
TREE WRAPPERS IN KANSAS. 
For several years we used In our 60 acres of young 
orchard the wood-veneer wrappers to protect the 
trees from rabbits. But we found them objectionable 
for several reasons. Under the influence of the wea¬ 
ther they warp and twist, curl and split, so it is im¬ 
practicable to remove a large number in Spring and 
replace them in the Fall. I found more than one 
mouse’s nest snugly built within the wrapper. If left 
on the year around, as was our practice, the bark be¬ 
comes bleached and unhealthy. But the worst thing 
was that they afforded such shelter for the Woolly 
aphis that in late Summer the whole trunk beneath 
the wrapper became blue with them. 
A year ago last Spring we took off the wood wrap¬ 
pers, washed the trees with strong lye and soapsuds 
and last Fall I tied them up with long slough-grass 
hay. This has given perfect protection from rabbits 
and sunscald. It has remained on through the Sum¬ 
mer. I have examined a great many of the trees. The 
bark seems in excellent condition, and there is no 
trace of the aphis under the hay, though under a 
wood wrapper accidentally left on one tree the whole 
stem was alive with them. The hay wrappers are 
quickly put on. Haul the hay in convenient piles. 
Take some in a rope and a ball of binder twine in 
a pail or box with handle. Apply a small bunch of 
hay with each hand to opposite sides of tree and tie 
at top and bottom. Nine-tenths of those put on a 
year ago are good for another year, but the remainder 
must be rewrapped. I have thought it might pay to 
raise tobacco to wrap the trees with. Perhaps this 
would repel borers, aphis and mice, besides the rab¬ 
bits. Keep worms off the growing tobacco with poi¬ 
son. I do not know a better use for the “weed.” 
Bucyrus, Kan. f. e. hale, 
