1899 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
4i9 
HOPE FARM NOTES. 
Potato Notes.—The cool, moist weather has 
pushed the early potatoes along lively. While 
sweet corn has been standing still, the potatoes 
have averaged nearly an inch of growth in 24 
hours. One sprout in the house, grown in a box 
with tomato plants, actually grew 2)4 inches in 
height in 24 hours! In one field of nearly four 
acres, there are not 50 missing places. As we have 
planted this year, this represents about 15 bar¬ 
rels. That means pretty careful cutting. They 
were all planted with the Robbins planter. It is 
the man behind the planter who does the busi¬ 
ness. We have planted eight different varie¬ 
ties this year, and of all, the Rural Blush cuts up 
best for the planter. A barrel of the Blush will 
go 25 per cent farther than a barrel of any of the 
Carman potatoes. These varieties are hard to 
use in the planter without waste, though they cut 
well for h,nd dropping. We have not yet found 
a dozen hard-shelled bugs. Uncle Ed had his 
first experience with the weeder last week. He 
held down pretty hard at first, until he thought 
he had killed half the plants. Then he gave it a 
mighty light touch. Three days after, when the 
results were evident, he wished he had put it 
down as hard as he could. 
Side Crops.—We had our first dish of turnip 
greens May 20. I think boiled turnip tops are as 
good as spinach. These turnips were grown in 
part of the chicken yard. We fenced it off, took 
out the old hens, and used the vacant part for 
the little birds when they leave the brooders. We 
keep their wings well clipped. The turnips will 
make a good crop with plenty to eat and a few 
to sell. Rape and sorghum are two crops that 
will go in later for stock food. Last year, the 
sorghum or Amber cane gave two good cuttings. 
On strong land, or where manure is used heavily, 
I think our best field corn will give a heavier 
yield. On dry, thin land, however, I will back 
the sorghum every time. It will make more feed, 
especially in a drought, and the stock will eat 
more of the whole stalk. Rape is a wonderful 
Summer and Fall,crop for hog or sheep pasture. 
It must have good soil, though, for it is a greedy 
feeder. Horses are very fond of it. 
Beautiful Clover.—The Crimson clover was at 
its best during the last week of May. It did my 
eyes good to see the streaks of scarlet through 
the farm Dozens of people waded into the clover, 
and carried off great bundles of the flowers. The 
crop is not as good as last year’s. It was killed 
out in spots, and for some reason, it has headed 
out earlier and shorter than usual. I do not 
understand this, for this season has been cooler 
than usual. We are short of hay this year, and 
shall clip off two fields, and use the clover for 
horse feed. Tne stubble is plowed in for late 
potatoes and late cabbage. 
Tlie Hen Business.—We have nearly 300 little 
chickens. The incubators have not been entirely 
satisfactory this year, for some reason. The old 
hen is far ahead. We had two hens sitting on 26 
eggs, that hatched out 25 chicks, and broke one 
egg! One would pass for a Leghorn, but really 
she has a strain of some other blood—probably 
Plymouth Rock. We are told how these in¬ 
herited tendencies from our ancestors push us 
on to do certain things. That P. R. blood cer¬ 
tainly gave this hen a pretty hard push. She 
broke one egg and hatched all the rest. Now if 
her Leghorn blood will push her along to lay 100 
eggs in the next six months, we will call it square! 
The Hope Farm hens may beat the incubator, 
but when it comes to nursing, the brooder badly 
beat 3 the hens. Mrs. Biddy gets greedy for bugs 
or gossip or adventure, and the little chicks 
can’t keep up with her. The brooder has wooden 
brains, passions and desires—which is a good 
thing for the chicks, so long as you keep the 
lamps trimmed and burning. By the way, we 
haven’t heard a word from New Jersey hen men 
about that proposed egg contest? What’s the 
trouble with Jersey hens ? 
Harness is Higher.—Horses have gone up in 
price, and harness seems to have mounted with 
them. I find this in trying to make a bargain 
for a new farm harness. There is an increase of 
about 25 per cent over two years ago. Various 
reasons are given for it. 
One man says leather is higher “for natural 
causes ” I don’t believe the farmers who sell 
hides get much more than formerly! 
Another dealer tellB me that a trust has secured 
control of the harness business, and by controll¬ 
ing the output, is able to put up the price. 
Still another claims that, two years ago, times 
were so hard that few people bought harness. 
They patched up with strings as best they could. 
The result was that dealers had harness enough 
to hitch on to the Cuban question, left on hand. 
They sold it low in order to get rid of it. Now, 
this man says, prosperity has come, and farmers 
are buying harness so fast that the dealers can’t 
keep up with the demand. Two years ago, a 
horse was worth $75, and the old harness was 
good enough for him. Now that same horse is 
worth $150, and he needs new clothes! 
“ You pays your money and you takes your 
choice.” You don’t take the harness this year 
till you pays your money—that’s sure. What 
Strikes me is this: Horse, harness, seed and 
plow all cost us more this year. Where do we 
come in ? If the crop brings more than usual, it 
will be all right, for it cost more. If it bring 
leas—where does the farmer come in ? 
Thorougli Work.—During the busy planting 
season, one is often tempted to plant where the 
soil is only half prepared. We had a case of this 
sort last week. There was one field in which the 
grass had made a bad start. Right after plow¬ 
ing, there came a soaking shower, and before the 
land could be harrowed and planted, it was green 
with sprouting grass. We went in with the 
Cutaway, and tore it up, but still the grass 
showed. Big clouds were in the sky, and the 
local prophet looked wise and talked of “heavy 
floods ” of rain. We could take the planter and 
get these potatoes safely in before night. The 
seed was all cut. If we didn’t it might be a week 
before the ground would be fit to work. What 
about it ? We held a council of war, and decided 
to fit that ground properly before planting, if it 
took until frost to do it. We hitched on to the 
Cutaway again, and worked that field until there 
was not a green blade to be seen. Then we 
smoothed it down -with the Acme, and left the 
field like a big box of meal. The clouds drove 
away to the north, and the rain never came. 
These potatoes went into the ground just exactly 
right. It pays to fit the land properly, even 
though it does mean extra time and work. The 
best time to cultivate a crop is before it goes into 
the soil. 
Bug Poisons. — Paris-green costs too much 
money. We need a cheaper poison. I hope this 
has come in Paragrene, a substance which is 
bulkier than Paris-green, but which contains 
just as much arsenic. The manufacturer tells 
me that it also contains lime and sulphate of 
copper which, we all know, are the “ cure-all ” 
in Bordeaux Mixture. I have tried Paragrene in 
a small way, though the bugs have not yet come 
upon us. It does not injure the plants like Laurel 
Green, and will, I think, prove effective. Readers 
in the South who have tried it say that it is fully 
as useful as Paris-green. It costs but a little 
more than half as much. It is surely worth try¬ 
ing. n. w. c. 
BULLETINS BOILED DOWN. 
Graphs in Texas.— Bulletin 48 of the Texas 
Experiment Station (College Station) gives the 
results of extensive grape tests, 205 varieties and 
species being planted for experiment. It is noted 
that no variety with any great amount of La- 
brusca blood has endured the climate success¬ 
fully, and nearly all Vinifera varieties are dead 
or nearly so, after five years’ test. Varieties pos¬ 
sessing Lincecumii and Bourquiniana blood stood 
the climate well. The most satisfactory table 
grapes at the Station, were Brilliant, Bailey, 
Delaware, Dracut, Duchess, Golden Gem, Gold 
Coin, Green Mountain, and Herbert. 
Nursery Pests and Nursert Inspection.— Bul¬ 
letin 80 of the Kentucky Experiment Station 
(Lexington) describes the various pests affecting 
Kentucky nurseries, wi’.h the means of combat¬ 
ing them, also gives the State law concerning 
nursery inspection, which resembles the Mary¬ 
land law in its provisions. Among forms of treat¬ 
ment advised for Woolly aphis, is the gasoline- 
blast lamp, such as is used by mechanics for 
burning off old paint. These lamps are provided 
with an air pump, which gives a large jet of in¬ 
tensely hot flame that can be passed quickly over 
infested trees, killing insects on the bark with¬ 
out penetrating it. 
Skim-Milk as a Food for Young Growing 
Chickens, is the title of Bulletin No. 76 from the 
Indiana Experiment Station (LaFayette). Why 
young? Who ever heard of old growing chickens? 
Teachers should be more careful. This is a dupli¬ 
cation of experiments previously reported, and 
was intended to support the previous results. 
The chicks were 10 Houdans and 10 P. Rocks, 
previously subject to the same treatment. Each 
of the two lots was made up of the two breeds. 
The chicks varied in size, but were so divided 
that the weight of the two lots was the same at 
the beginning of the experiment. Both lots were 
weighed each week, and results are tabulated. 
A curious thing is that the lot fed milk consumed 
a much larger quantity of other food than the 
other lot, indicating that milk is of more value 
in feeding young poultry than is represented by 
its mere food value. The average gain per chick 
of those fed milk was approximately double that 
of the other lot. The chickens were healthier. 
The cost per pound of gain was less. Milk seemed 
less valuable for older chicks and in cooler 
weather, in the first experiment, but not in the 
second. 
Spraying Apple Trees with Special Reference 
to Apple-Scab Fungus is the elaborate title of 
Bulletin No. 54 from the Illinois Experiment Sta¬ 
tion (Urbana). “The two enemies most menac¬ 
ing to the apple-growing industry of Illinois are 
the Apple-scab fungus and the Codling moth. 
They, In turn, find their most deadly foes in Bor¬ 
deaux Mixture and Paris-green.” Illinois is said 
to have a larger apple acreage than any other 
State in the Union. At a moderate estimate, 
10,000,000 barrels of apples should be produced 
annually, while the fact is that less than 1,000,000 
barrels of first and second quality fruit matured. 
Less than 10 per cent of the apple growers take 
any precaution against scab or Codling moth. 
Last year, the productive orchards were the 
sprayed ones. Specific directions for the work 
are given. Early spraying with copper sulphate 
on dormant wood is not always advisable. The 
first application of Bordeaux Mixture and Paris- 
green combined made just before the flower buds 
open is, with respect to the Apple-scab fungus, 
the most important spray of the season. The 
second application, just after the blooms fall, is 
most important for the Codling moth, as well as 
being of great value for the fungus. A third ap¬ 
plication should be made in 8 or 10 days after the 
blooms have fallen. Numerous formulas are 
given. Copious illustrations show a complete as¬ 
sortment of spraying apparatus and fixtures, as 
well as showing sprayed and unsprayed trees 
and fruits. The bulletin is a valuable compen¬ 
dium on spraying. 
Lettuce Rot and Potato Scab.— Bulletin 81 of 
the Kentucky Experiment Station (Lexington) 
details experiments in the prevention of Lettuce 
rot and Potato scab. It is noted that rot on let¬ 
tuce under glass usually appears where the 
house is kept very damp, and the plants are fre¬ 
quently watered overhead. As a means of preven¬ 
tion, the use of subirrigation is advised, tile being 
laid in each bench. To avoid the rot which starts 
at the tips of leaves, a mulch of fine excelsior is 
advised, to prevent the leaves from resting on 
the bench. We doubi, however, whether mar¬ 
ket growers would look favorably upon this 
mulch. Their preference is for well-stirred sur¬ 
face soil. All the large growers we know de¬ 
clare that they have little, if any rot, whether the 
plants are grown in benches or solid beds, and 
their explanation of this immunity is the thoi- 
ough ventilation given, and the care taken in 
watering. The earth is well soaked when the 
plants are set out, and few waterings given 
afterwards, before the crop is off. 
Experiments were made in treating potatoes 
with formalin, as a preventive of scab. The re¬ 
sult was not satisfactory, corrosive sublimate 
being of far greater benefit. 
Eureka Harness Oil is the best 
preservative of new leather 
and the best renovator of old 
leather. It oils, softens, black¬ 
ens and protects. Use 
Eureka 
Harness 
on your best harness, your old har¬ 
ness, and your carriage top, and they 
will not only look better but wear 
longer. Sold everyw'here in cans—all 
sizes from half pints to five gallons. 
Made by STANDARD OIL CO. 
FRAZER 
AXLE 
GREASE. 
BEST IN THE WORLD. 
Its wearing qualities are unsurpassed, actually 
outlasting three boxes of any other brand. Not 
affected by heat. B3T GET THE GENUINE. 
FOR SALE BY DBALERS GENERALLY. 
North Carolina Farming —Many explanations 
are given for the low p-ice of hay. It is said 
that, in many parts of the country during the 
Winter, farmers have hauled corn stalks and oat 
straw to town, and sold them to stable keepers. 
They have been used for feeding young or idle 
horses, and the use of these cheap substitutes 
has diminished the demand for first-class hay. 
There used to be a large sale for hay in the South, 
but in many parts of the Gulf States Alfalfa 
and cow-pea vines are now taking the place of 
the northern article. In Bulletin 162, just issued 
from the North Carolina Experiment Station 
(Raleigh), Prof. W. F. Massey gives some excel¬ 
lent hints on improved farming in that State. He 
tells of one man who has the largest peach or¬ 
chard in the State. This man had to keep a large 
force of mules at work, and had been buying hay 
for them. He did not suppose that any feed 
would grow on the sandy soil of his orchards. 
Last year he tried cow peas, and cut and cured 
them, putting them half dry in a barn. The re¬ 
sult is that he is now independent of the northern 
hay, as he can make a ton of cow-pea hay to the 
acre on the mo3t barren southern sand. This is 
only one illustration of the way farming is chang¬ 
ing throughout the country. The use of cheap 
substitutes by farmers spreads to people who 
formerly bought their hay, the result being that 
the hay market is injured, and that hay is re¬ 
duced in price. 
Preserving Egos.— The Canadian Experiment 
Farm, at Ottawa, is Interested in poultry exper¬ 
iments. Among other things, Prof. Shutt, the 
chemist, has been testing preservatives for eggs. 
Lime water and “ water glass ” were used. The 
lime water was made by putting two or three 
pounds of fresh lime in five gallons of water, and 
stirring it well at Intervals. It is then allowed 
to settle, and the clear fluid left is poured over 
the eggs, which are placed in a crock or air¬ 
tight barrel. It is sometimes recommended to 
add a pound or so of Balt to the lime water, but 
this did not seem advisable in this experiment. 
What is known as “ water glass ” is silicate of 
soda. It is a fluid costing 60 cents per gallon. It 
is very caustic, and more disagreeable to use 
than lime water. Perfectly fresh eggs should be 
used, and the fluid used in preserving should 
fully cover the eggs. A 10 per-cent solution of 
the “ water glass” was used. Both fluids gave 
good satisfaction and thoroughly preserved the 
eggs. There was a shrinkage of the large air 
space in all cases, and in some instances, the 
yolk stuck to the shell. The whites of the pre¬ 
served eggs turned a faint yellow, which tint be¬ 
came deeper on boiling. No offensive odor was 
perceived when the eggs were broken, but when 
cooked, a faint musty or stale odor developed. 
Probably no preservative will prevent the loss 
of flavor possessed by the fresh egg. As between 
the lime water and the “ water glass ” there was 
little to choose, except that the lime is cheaper 
and easier to handle. 
r “A MOLE 
on the Heck, 
Money 
by the Peck.” 
but there is no money in hav- 
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“OUT-O-SIGHT” 
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Every trap has our guarantee to catch.^,,. 
Sample trap 85c. by maU 
or, have your dealer order for you. 
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10 rieek St., Abingdon, Ill., 
Lane’s Steel Jack. 
All steel. Unbreakable. Compound Levers. Quickly 
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r\ /V. market. Thousands in 
J — - ' - - i —A^ use. If your local deal- 
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will send sample at 
regular price prepaid. 
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Prospect and 1st Sts., Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 
L ARGEST manu¬ 
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best steel wheels 
for farm wagons in 
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straight and staggard 
spokes, any width tire. 
The head of 
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Four different kinds. 
8END FOR CATALOGUE 
Havana Metal Wheel Co. 
Havana, III. 
NOTICE. 
Owing to the increased cost of ma¬ 
terial used in the manufacture of 
our wheels, the price will be ad¬ 
vanced June 1, when Price List 
No. 14 will be issued. Quotations 
are for immediate acceptance only. 
WILMINGTON, 
Wilmington Wheel Company, 
DELAWARE. 
$48.50 FOR THIS $80.00 
I TOP BUGGY. Wheel* and Oeur 
made of second growth air .seasoned 
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k double reach, iron full length, lm- 
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Heat ends padded. Pulnted under the 100 day system. All parts 
first dipped in hot oil and allowed to stand until perfectly dry, giv¬ 
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Nfl NDNFY VVe will *htp this elegant'lop Buggy or 
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PA|) r I wr VC ADC We Will give with each one of our 
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Marvin Smith Co.16 B-D, 55-57-59 N. Jefferson St. Chicago. 
% inch diameter. Comes in bales of 300 lbs. each, 
and in lengths 20 to 40 feet. Price per Pound 4c. 
We buy our goods at Sheriffs’ and Receivers’ sales. 
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4 ‘OUR PRICES are ONE-HALF of OTHERS.” 
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ELECTRIC WHEEL CO., Box 88. QUINCY, ILL. 
