1902 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
51 
CLOVER MULCH FOR APPLE ORCHARD. 
Canadian Experimental Farm's Plan 
The recent discussions in The R. N.-Y. regarding 
the apple orchards of Grant G. Hitchings, and the lat¬ 
ter’s description of his methods, have been of .much 
interest to me, as since 1898 I have adopted a system 
of green manuring and mulching in the orchards at 
the Central Experimental Farm which, although not 
quite similar to that of Mr. Hitchings, has proven very 
beneficial to the trees, and is fast improving the soil. 
I thought it might prove suggestive and possibly help¬ 
ful to the readers of The R. N.-Y. to give a descrip¬ 
tion of our practice here. 
The soil in the apple orchards is not an ideal one 
for growing fruit, being a light sandy loam with a 
subsoil of sand to a depth of three feet, or more in 
many places. The ground is naturally cold and moist 
except the surface, which becomes very hot in Sum¬ 
mer; though well drained the subsoil is still cold and 
moist, and when the roots strike it they die. How 
best to warm the soil and remove more of the mois¬ 
ture from it was the problem to be solved, and it was 
decided to keep the ground covered with a green crop. 
The advantages of having the orchard permanently in 
grass sod were doubtful, therefore common Red 
clover (Trifolium pratense) was chosen as a cover 
crop. The method adopted was to sow the clover 
seed as soon as the ground could be prepared in the 
Spring at the rate of 12 pounds per acre, and during 
that season to mow down any weeds which might ap¬ 
pear, and possibly some clover with it. By Autumn 
a fine cover crop is obtained, which is very necessary 
in this part of Canada to hold the snow and protect 
the roots of the trees, as many trees are often root- 
killed where the soil is bare. The clover usually 
comes through the Winter in good condition, and as 
soon as it is from 18 to 20 inches high, 
or just when the flower heads begin to 
show, it is cut and left to rot on the 
ground. The second crop grows up very 
quickly, and when it reaches about the 
same condition as the first it is cut also. 
As many as five crops of clover have 
been cut in one season on the same land, 
and all good except the last, which was 
light. From the five cuttings it was es¬ 
timated that about 25 tons of green 
clover were left to lie and rot on the 
ground in one season. It may easily be 
imagined that there will be a large 
quantity of vegetable matter left to lie 
on the ground. After the last cutting 
there is sufficient growth made to form 
a good cover crop for the Winter. It is 
very important to cut the clover just as 
the flower heads begin to show, as if 
done later it has been found that only 
about two good crops can be cut. By 
the next Spring, or the beginning of the 
third season, a large part of the clover 
is dead, it being a biennial; the ground 
is therefore plowed shallow, and the decayed vege¬ 
table matter which has accumulated for two years 
turned under. Clover seed is again sown and the 
same process is continued. The trees have apparent¬ 
ly never suffered from lack of moisture during the 
past four seasons. An addition of phosphoric acid 
and potash from time to time in the shape of ground 
bone and muriate of potash or some other good ferti¬ 
lizer, is necessary to keep up the fertility of the soil. 
The benefits of this system under our special condi¬ 
tions are: First, the clover during the growing sea¬ 
son pumps out from the subsoil a very large quantity 
of moisture, which would be conserved by cultivation. 
It has been found that there is much less moisture 
where clover is growing than where the soil is culti¬ 
vated.' Second, the roots of the clover go a great 
depth, four feet or more, and help to aerate the soil. 
Third, when this clover is cut the plant food which 
has been brought up from that depth is deposited on 
the surface of the soil in a much more available con¬ 
dition, and where the feeding roots of the fruit trees 
can get at it. Fourth, the soil being a very light, 
sandy loam is easily blown by the wind if kept culti¬ 
vated, and the surface also becomes very hot during 
the Summer. The clover keeps the soil in place, and 
the mulch of decaying leaves and stems keeps the 
surface cool. Fifth, as the clover plants do not form 
a tangled mass like grass sod, it is thought that less 
of the warm rain which falls during Summer showers 
is evaporated before it gets into the ground than 
would be the case were the land in grass sod. As was 
stated before, the results from this system under our 
peculiar conditions nave been very good. How long 
they will continue so is yet to be learned, but while 
good results have been obtained here we believe that, 
as a general rule, and where droughts occur, the best 
system to adopt in orchard cultivation is to keep the 1 
soil cultivated thoroughly until about the middle of 
July and then, choosing a favorable time, seed down 
with the plant which makes the best cover crop, and 
plow this under in the Spring as soon as the ground 
can be worked. In the Ottawa Valley we usually 
have an abundant rainfall, and seldom suffer from 
drought, hence conservation of moisture is not as im¬ 
portant a question here as maintenance of fertility. 
W. T. MACOUN. 
Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Canada. 
EXPERIENCE WITH CORN FODDER. 
I have read with special interest the articles on 
feeding corn fodder and wheat bran. As to feeding 
bran to horses, we have been wintering from 12 to 17 
for a number of years, most of them idle all Winter, 
and have found bran to be a useful feed, keeping their 
bowels in a healthy condition, in fact, a necessity. I 
hardly see how we could get along without it. We 
have never had any trouble with feeding it, and it 
would take a tremendous amount of evidence to con¬ 
vince me that it is not beneficial and does not often 
prevent bowel trouble. Our corn fodder is cut with 
a cutter, not shredded, and is sprinkled with water 
about a day before using, giving it all the water it 
will take up, which makes it fresh, green looking and 
soft. This way it is very much relished by stock, all 
being eaten except a few hard knots and butts that 
were damaged by standing on the ground. Certainly 
not more than five per cent is left. We feed without 
putting any meal on it, and find that they eat it better 
than when we mixed meal with it. Of course when 
feeding bran we mix a small quantity of cut fodder 
with the bran, but not enough to cause the animals 
to sort or root it out. After the fodder is cut we find 
it better than hay for cows, hay being too dry, and 
quite as satisfactory for horses. This applies to Win¬ 
ter feeding of course as regards both cows and horses. 
We have our own steam power and grinder, but 
have given up grinding corn for horses, as we found 
it a waste of labor. An idle horse asks no better fun 
than grinding a half dozen ears of corn for himself, 
and he thrives just as well on it. This may not be 
true of horses doing steady work or driving, but I am 
convinced that it is true of those doing only light 
work. It is not the purpose of the writer to claim 
virtue for a cutter over a shredder, but to emphasize 
the fact that no machine can make palatable eating 
of dry fodder, and that if the moisture is supplied fine 
fodder, either cut or shredded, will make fine feed. 
Allegheny Co., Pa. c. j. w. 
EXPERIENCE WITH WHEAT BRAN. 
Feeding Hard-Working Horses. 
From reading the replies to your question I see 
that different people have different experiences. We 
have found wheat bran an efficient and economical 
feed for work horses, whether fed wholly or in part, 
so far with no bad results to any of the horses, and 
we work them at everything horses can be put to ex¬ 
cepting track sulkies and speeding wagons. The first 
team on bran was a pair of 1,600-pound geldings used 
to haul contractor’s supplies, loaded heavily and 
driven at a walk. They got off their feed, and their" 
driver, a colored man, asked for bran. He fed no 
other grain for three years, and a fatter, pluckier 
team one could not ask for. He had two large pails, 
and used to we,t the bran in them for the next feed 
right after feeding, and let it soak. The next team 
was a pair of 1,100-pound horses used on town work, 
road scrapers and the like, getting the hardest work 
of any of our teams, for they oflfcen had six miles and 
back besides doing their day’s work. They averaged 
about 13 hours a day, and no standing in the shade. 
The first part of the season they were fed mostly oats 
for grain, and they were fed without stint till they 
began to sicken of the oats, and refused to eat. We 
then changed to bran night and morning, fed dry, 
when they began to improve. That was four years 
ago, and they are able to take their bran daily now, 
and do not wait for the Whiffletrees to hit their heels 
the second time when on the lead. This Winter we are 
feeding but two pairs, but they all eat their bran 
twice daily, with oats for dinner, and are working 
11 hours a day, and appear .well. In an experience 
of 33 years, working teams for other people and my¬ 
self, and having others drive, I have neither had nor 
seen any bad results from feeding bran or any other 
grain unless the horse was waterlogged immediately 
after eating. Feed any wholesome grain you have a 
mind to, work as hard as you choose, only be careful 
when and where and how much you water. Don’t 
water within one hour of feeding if you can avoid it. 
When feeding bran we give from six to eight quarts 
to a feed, according to size of horse and work it is 
doing. g. l. o. 
Plymouth, Conn. 
Rations for Mules, Horses and Cattle. 
I would like to give my experience for 30 years past 
as a heavy feeder of wheat bran. I am aware that 
some of the western bran that has screenings and 
sand ground up with it is unfit for feed, and no doubt 
would cause serious trouble; so would sand mixed 
with our bread. In such a case it would be unwise 
for a physician to declare to the world that it is dan¬ 
gerous for us to eat bread. From a long experience 1 
can say that clean, .sweet wheat bran is not only safe, 
but an important article of feed, notwithstanding 
some doctor may say otherwise. I have fed wheat 
bran very largely to all of my animals, and it would 
be ha-d to convince me that it is not a 
safe and economical food. My working 
horses and mules have never done bet¬ 
ter than when fed corn morning and 
night, and as much bran as they would 
eat at noon (without hay). In the 
Spring of 1899 I bought a young team 
of Kentucky mules. We started in the 
Spring work with No. 1 young cut Tim¬ 
othy hay, corn and bran for feed. One 
of the team refused to eat anything but 
corn and hay, the other its noon ration 
of bran. We tried to teach the one to 
eat bran or oats, but it would not. 
About midsummer it began to fail, and 
soon got worked down so it would eat 
nothing. I fen discouraged, and offered 
to sell the ailing animal for one-third 
of its value. I turned it out in the yard 
without any food in reach except bran. 
It fasted for two days, then began to 
eat the bran, and soon regained its 
proper condition, and has ever since 
had a regular daily ration of bran, 
and has held its own. From my ex¬ 
perience I am satisfied that working animals, and 
especially mules that are worked hard daily and kept 
in stable, cannot be kept in good condition on Tim¬ 
othy hay and corn. They will on No. 1 clover or 
mixed hay but on clear Timothy and corn a daily 
allowance of wheat bran or oats will keep up the 
balance. I have made it a practice of feeding oats 
exclusively to my driving horse. About one year ago 
my man persisted in feeding too much, so I made the 
feed oats and wheat bran, half and half, and with as 
good results as where double the quantity of oats was 
formerly fed. This horse has had bran three times 
daily for over a year. I have kept a few beef cattle 
for several years, and have usually fed them turnips 
or small potatoes and bran for five or six months; in 
Fall and Winter without any other feed except what 
they got from the stables, feeding about one bushel 
roots and 12 quarts bran to each daily. On this plan 
they do extra well. My long and careful experience 
justifies me in saying: “Do not be afraid to feed good 
sweet wheat bran, no matter if some doctor tells you 
that he has known its use to be fatal.” Probably 
some other one of his profession would say the trou¬ 
ble comes from some other cause. As long as doc¬ 
tors disagree experience can look on and laugh. 
New Jersey. chas. black. 
TAIL NOT OVER THE REINS—Buckle two 
lengths of five-eighths-inch light harness strap from 
hip strap around tail above breeching, with easy loose 
fit over the dock. From buckle of crupper on each 
side fasten billet of a perpendicular strap on each side 
of rump. Run leather net laces two inches apart up 
and down from bottom to strap on top of tail. See 
Fig. 22. Any driver who can keep the ends of the 
reins in the wagon need not be troubled with the tail 
holding down the lines. a. v. g. 
Asheville, N. C. 
A POLLED HEREFORD BULL FROM KANSAS. Fig. 23. See Page 63. 
