766 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
November 15 
beginning to think that pigs offer better and safer 
opportunities for the farmer’s wife or daughter to 
make her spending money than do hens. As we feed 
and care for them, there is but little of the usual 
work that is not suitable for a woman. She could 
certainly mix the slop in the feed room and pour it 
into the spout which leads to the long trough out¬ 
side. Bessie, my little nine-year-old grandchild, likes 
to help feed the pigs, by opening and shutting the 
doors of the pens. She enjoys seeing the pigs rush 
across the barnyard with their “guff, guff, guff,” al¬ 
most as much as the pigs enjoy it. She can scatter 
a few kernels of corn in the pen while the pigs are 
eating their slop, and be ready to close the door and 
open the next one as soon as they hurry back into 
the pen to hunt for the kernels of corn which they 
have learned to expect. 
SAVING FERTILITY.—Since learning why it is 
that the urine of animals is more available as plant 
food than the solids, we are using shavings very free¬ 
ly in the pens, so as to try to absorb it all. This 
keeps the pigs always clean and dry. How best to 
use this pig manure, which will consist largely of 
shavings saturated with urine, is one of the problems 
before us. Exposure to leaching rains will doubtless 
soon waste the readily available plant food, and it 
will doubtless firefang if piled loosely under cover. 
We shall probably let it lie in the pens, adding dry 
shavings to the surface until ready to spread it on 
the land. We can usually get shavings from kiln- 
dried lumber at three cents per large bean-bag full. 
FARM PROBLEMS.—Shall we “feed the land” or 
“feed the plants?” The Clark system of grass cul¬ 
ture was discussed in these notes recently, from a 
theoretical standpoint. I trust a good many readers 
will be prepared to discuss it from a practical stand¬ 
point a year hence. It is not yet too late to begin to 
prepare some old sod for seeding next September. Plow 
now and let the bacteria in the soil do the work next 
Summer, which Mr. Clark has been doing by his re¬ 
peated stirring of the soil. While the bacteria are 
destroying the old sod some crop of stronger growth 
than seedling Timothy can be raised on the land. 
Early potatoes are excellent for this purpose. Oats 
could also be grown and cut for hay. If oats were 
allowed to ripen their grain, the scattered grain from 
the crop would be apt to germinate and injure the 
grass seeding. A crop of millet might be secured 
from the land while the old sod is being disposed of, 
in time to reseed with grass about September 1. I 
happened to have a small field that was treated in 
this way last season, which has given me a chance 
to put some of my new ideas about grass culture to 
the test. It was an old sod which was “run out,” as 
the saying goes, the crop of 1901 being very light and 
unsatisfactory. It was plowed about a year ago, re¬ 
plowed about June 1, and sowed to millet. The crop 
of millet was light, but of good quality, and free from 
weeds. It had that starved look peculiar to a crop 
growing on poor soil. After my recent experience 
with feeding Timothy plants with available nitrogen, 
on a near-by field of similar soil, it was apparent to 
me that this field also is deficient in available nitro¬ 
gen. After removing the millet, it was plowed once, 
put in ordinary condition with the spring-tooth har¬ 
row, and seeded with Timothy and Red-top. A light 
dressing of pig manure was harrowed in at time of 
seeding (abou % t five loads per acre), and a light dress¬ 
ing of nitrate of soda applied. The way those seed¬ 
ling Timothy and Red-top plants are responding to 
this treatment is a revelation to me. Where was an 
old run-out sod a year ago is now a dark green vel¬ 
vety mat of young grass that would do credit to a 
millionaire’s lawn. No time has been lost and no 
extra cultivation given except turning over the old 
sod last Autumn. I am satisfied that I might have 
had a big crop of millet instead of a light one if a 
little available nitrogen had been fed to it. Keep the 
salient points of this problem of “two blades of grass 
where one grew before” constantly in view. Destroy 
the old sod, so that there will be no strong-growing 
old plants to dispute possession of the soil with the 
tiny new seedlings. Prepare as perfect a seed bed as 
possible. This implies fine tilth and a smooth sur¬ 
face. Feed the plants instead of the land, and see 
that the food is in available form. 
A GROUP OF HENS—Fig. 311, first page, shows 
Mapes, the hen man, among his pets, and also part of 
his row of colony brooder houses. When the chicks 
are old enough to dispense with artificial heat, I place 
100 in each of these small houses, 6x8 feet, and after a 
few days’ confinement in the low yards, they are given 
free range. The flock shown is about four months 
old and some of them are already laying. These col¬ 
ony brooder houses are about 20 feet distant from 
each other. My houses for laying stock are larger, 
10x12 feet, and about eight rods distant from each 
other. o. w. mapes. 
THE MULCH METHOD IN FLORIDA. 
I have been much interested in the articles on the 
Hitchings mulching method ror orchards. The pic¬ 
ture of that low-headed tree in The R. N.-Y., page 
718, reminds me very much of our similarly shaped 
orange trees. Here in Florida that method, or one 
somewhat similar, has been used by the orange 
growers, in portions of the State, for years. Some 
successful growers here will not have a plow used in 
their groves. Their practice is to cut the grass, and, 
in bearing groves, leave it where it falls. But in this 
soil fertilizers are necessary, so mineral fertilizers 
are broadcast on the sod, and the trees eventually get 
them. They claim that this non-cultivation produces 
more and brighter thin-skinned fruit than by culti¬ 
vation. This is for bearing groves. In young groves 
GROUND PLAN OF DOGHOUSE. Flo. 312. 
cultivation is used to some extent to force the growth 
and to bring the trees to maturity in a shorter time 
than would otherwise be the case The generally ac¬ 
cepted theory, however, I believe, is that some cul¬ 
tivation is necessary to get the best results in either 
a young or bearing grove. From March until June 
is generally very dry, and the plan is to plow the 
grove very shallow in the Winter or early Spring, 
and then keep the land worked lightly with the har¬ 
row or cultivator until the rain sets in, when it is 
left to grow up in grass or legumes. By this plan 
moisture is conserved and the trees given a chance to 
grow at, for them, the worst season of the year. 
When sown to legumes, cow peas, Velvet beans or 
Florida clover (Desmodium molle) very much less 
nitrogen can be used in the fertilizer, as well as hav¬ 
ing the ground in good condition for the plow and a 
superior quality of humus to turn under. However, 
as at the North, different soils and localities require 
different treatment, and he succeeds best who intel¬ 
ligently studies his own requirements and uses his 
knowledge to bring about the best results, without 
blindly following after any one plan or theory. 
Florida. _ allen irwin. 
PERPLEXING PROBLEMS IN AN ORCHARD 
In remitting for your paper I wish to express my 
high appreciation of its excellence. No discussion of 
horticultural topics has been of greater interest to me 
A WISCONSIN HOGHOUSE. Fig. 313. 
than your articles from all sides on the “Hitchings 
Method.” I have 600 trees, mostly 9 and 10 years 
planted, and heretofore cultivated pretty thoroughly. 
This annual cultivation is, however, a great task, 
taken in connection with other farm work, and in 
spite of our best efforts weeds get a great start dur¬ 
ing the haying and strawberry season. But the great¬ 
est objection to cultivat on is the constant wash, as 
the soil is mostly clay and somewhat uneven, so that 
without the sod to hold it the soil goes with the 
water. Previous to reading your articles I had de¬ 
cided one thing: that the roughest parts of the or¬ 
chard should stay in sod for better or worse. I do 
not like Mr. Woodward’s “sheep” system. The “hog” 
plan has worked very well in our old orchard, and I 
would prefer to pasture hogs in my 17 acres of apple 
orchard, though I must adopt the Hitchings plan if 
it promises the best fruit. 
My soil is good, has not been cropped for years, and 
grass grows rankly. A few years ago, February, 1900, 
I think, I lost many apple trees, a fine peach orchard 
of 200 trees and 60 plum trees, because of clean cul¬ 
tivation, which left no protection for the roots. Still, 
we have been taught by the great authorities, and 
with seeming reason, that cultivation is the only road 
to success. I do not shrink from cultivation if it is 
the best way, except where the wash is too great. It 
seems to me that Mr. Hitchings has much of reason 
in his favor, and I cannot quite see why, in the long 
run, trees left in full possession of the soil with the 
soft and abundant mulch which grass will provide in 
good soil should not be as reliable for fruit as trees 
in cultivated soil. Under all the circumstances you 
will not wonder that some of us are very much per¬ 
plexed and in doubt what course to take in a matter 
of great importance to us. My trees are 150 Spy, 150 
Baldwin, 150 Ben Davis, 120 R. I. Greenings and 30 
select varieties for family use. For some years I have 
filled all vacancies, perhaps 50 in all, with Wagener. 
I have believed that with the right treatment this 
orchard would provide for my wife and myself in our 
old age, if necessary. s. w. G. 
Bellevue, Mich. ^ 
DOES PARIS GREEN HURT POTATOES? 
We have reports from farmers who believe that the ex¬ 
cessive use of Paris-green and other poisons used in 
killing Potato beetles has so weakened the plants that 
they fall easier victims to blight. This seems to be a 
conviction with many. Do you think it is true? Is it 
likely that plants burned by poisons would be injured so 
as to go down quicker from disease? 
I have no data at hand from which to draw conclu¬ 
sions. The supposition is reasonable, however, since 
plants which are checked in any way are usually more 
subject to attack. w. m. munson. 
Maine Experiment Station. 
I can only say that where Paris-green or other poi¬ 
sons actually injure the foliage of the potato there is 
a better chance for fungi to begin their work. Where 
the tissues are not destroyed I doubt whether the con¬ 
tinued use of Paris-green makes the plants any more^ 
susceptible to blight. I have no evidence to prove or 
disprove the theory, so am not able to say whether 
it is true or not. w. e. britton. 
Connecticut Exp. Station. 
Do you mean that Paris-green, etc., may have led 
to general or racial degeneration of the potato so that 
potatoes in general are less vigorous or resistant to 
disease than formerly? If so, I would in the first place 
say that I am skeptical as to there being such a con¬ 
dition of degeneracy, and in the second place if it 
does exist I should seek an explanation in various 
other factors involved in potato breeding and culture 
before turning to the use of arsenites. I doubt wheth¬ 
er the bad effect of arsenites or similar poisons is felt 
beyond the season when they are used. I am, how¬ 
ever, convinced from long and careful observation of 
Vermont potato fields that a vast amount of damage 
results each year from overdoses of Paris-green, etc. 
The burning'or spotting of the leaves which results 
from arsenical poisoning so. closely resembles “early 
blight,” a fungus disease, that it has been confused 
with that malady, in some cases by well-trained plant 
pathologists, and the ordinary potato grower will dis¬ 
tinguish the two troubles with difficulty. The differ¬ 
ences were described and illustrated in some detail in 
Vermont Station Bulletin 49, which can be had on re¬ 
quest. The poisoning results from the occurrence in 
Paris-green, etc., of some soluble arsenic. I< ortunately 
danger of such arsenical poisoning is wholly avoided 
when the arsenite is used in combination with lime 
as in Bordeaux Mixture, since the lime neutralizes 
the soluble poison. Where the Paris-green is to be 
used alone in water we recommend that it be mixed 
with an equal weight of freshly-slaked lime. 
Vermont Experiment Station. l. r. tones. 
LEFT-HAND PLOWS.—I have read with interest 
the comments of a number of manufacturers on the 
left-hand plow and reasons for its use. Most of such 
practices come from custom. I believe that the use 
of the left or right-hand plow depends upon the man¬ 
ner of driving. In southwestern Pennsylvania the 
left-hand plow is used almost exclusively. There 
every one drives with a single or jerk line and the 
lead horse walks in the furrow. The other horse is 
jockeyed off. The farmer will drive all day with the 
line hanging over the plow handle, guiding the hoi sc 
entirely by word, and only occasionally touching the 
line on a turn. A good lead horse needs very little 
guiding after the first furrow is struck. The i ight- 
liand plow would reverse matters entirely and make 
it necessary to keep the off horse in the furrow, which 
would be impracticable. In New York State eveiy 
one drives with the check lines and it is immaterial 
which horse is in the furrow. Here the right-hand 
plow is used. I have asked many people from dif¬ 
ferent sections of the country what sort of plows were 
used in their locality, and the left-hand plow almost 
invariably goes with the jerk-line and the Pennsyl¬ 
vanian Dutchman or his descendants. You will no¬ 
tice from the answers of several of your correspon¬ 
dents that the use of the left-hand plow is confined 
to certain localities and to new localities settled by 
farmers coming from the places where the left-hand 
plow and the jerk-line were already in use. 
A. W. STEPHENS. 
