478 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
.Inly I 
A farmer may think he's saving money in buying 
some “?20 phosphate" or some cheap mixture low in 
nitrogen and potash, in the end, it. will not. be so 
satisfactory, even, as the three-cent lemonade, for 
nitrogen and potash give the life to the “phosphate" 
as the lemon and sugar give taste to the water. The 
“Chemicals and Clover” farmers in New Jersey have 
certainly demonstrated the value of high-grade fer¬ 
tilizers when applied to the potato crop. That is 
what has kept their farms up so that to-day the soil 
of every field in the rotation is in fine condition. 
JI. W. C. 
Points for Practice. 
WHAT READERS SAY ABOUT THINGS. 
CUTTING HACK RASPBERRIES.—In J. E. P.'s re¬ 
marks on winterkilling of raspberries, page 4.20, and 
II. E. Van Deman’s answer thereto, I find food for 
reflection. My experience has been identical with 
that of J. E. P. Canes that started early in tin? sea¬ 
son, and were t lie largest and most fully matured in 
the ordinary acceptation of that term, have invariably 
been winterkilled worst, while canes that have 
grown ui) to frost, and were soft at the tips when 
growth was checked, have as invariably come through 
uninjured. On the supposition that these canes are 
killed by loss of sap by evaporation, then it would ap¬ 
pear that, in this climate at least, under any method 
of culture or mulching that I have tried, the first 
canes mature too early, and sap is no longer circu¬ 
lated through their cells as rapidly as the dry Fall 
winds extract it, so they are in no condition to stand 
the continued loss entailed by the cold of Winter, if 
practicable, without impairing the root vigor, to get 
a uniform growth of late-maturing canes by cutting 
back those starting first, the problem would appear to 
he solved, and I would advise .1. E. P. to experiment 
along this line. a. K. m. 
Foil tel la, Va. 
THE WEEPER IN THE SWEET POTATO 
FIELD. We have been frying the Hallock weedcr in 
the sweet potato fields here, where there are thou¬ 
sands of acres planted to tills crop, it works well. 
It was the opinion of nearly every one that it would 
pull out or otherwise injure the plants, because they 
are sot on ridges; but it has not proved so. In going 
over several acres the other day, we found almost 
none covered or pulled out. We fried going length 
wise and crosswise, both singly and combined. Gross- 
wise working proved to be the best, because the teeth 
tore down the ridges, and pulled out and covered the 
small weeds better than where the weeder was run 
lengthwise of the ridges. We also learned by experi¬ 
ence that it. was best to double-work the field by com¬ 
ing back over the. same rows. This did much more 
perfect work than going only once over, and it left 
both sides of the ridges equally hoed. Besides, it un¬ 
covered any plants that might, have been covered the 
first time going over them. 
Just as soon as the plants are well established is 
the time to begin with the weeder. If the work is 
done properly, there will be no need of any hand 
hoeing, and the weeder will do work more than 20 
times cheaper than is possible by the old method. 
The moderate leveling down of Hie ridges is a benefit. 
The tendency among sweet potato growers here and 
elsewhere is towards level culture, it. seems to mat¬ 
ter little whether the plants are set In drills or 
checks, for the horse soon learns to step over the 
ridges. The weeder is certainly a great labor saver in 
the sweet-potato field. u. E. v. n. 
Virginia. 
SPELLING REFORM.- Your defense of spelling re¬ 
form meets with my heartiest favor. While a farmer 
lad, 1 taught, district school two Winters, and studied 
Pitman’s phonography. I have four Pitman stenog¬ 
raphers in my office. If is a mystery to me how and 
why people object to pruning off the excrescences 
of our notation, and I am sure that, had these ob¬ 
jectors ever taught district school and studied pho¬ 
nography, they would invite change, particularly so 
under the precedent of constant change taking place 
in our spelling since the days of Chaucer. We further 
have pruned off a hundred irregular verbs. If our 
notation had 42 letters instead of 2fi, the English 
language by (bus being phonetic would become the 
universal language. Ho please don’t hesitate to join 
any movement calculated to improve our barbarous 
redundancies. k. s. i,. 
Washington. 
R. N.-Y. The Kansas Experiment Station has 
adopted the reformed spelling in its bulletins and re¬ 
ports. If gives one a slight shock at first to miss 
the long-familiar letters, but it seems like a good ex¬ 
ample to follow. 
SQIJARE-CORNERED SILOS- There is no reason 
why a square or rectangular silo should not preserve 
the ensilage as well as any other form of silo, if the 
corners are properly constructed. The principal rea¬ 
son why ensilage spoils in the corners of the square 
silo is that the construction is such that the corners 
pull apart enough to admit the air. With the usual 
form of construction, there will almost certainly be a 
slight give at. the corners, and the result is the en¬ 
silage spoils. Fig. 190 shows how the corners may be 
constructed so that there will he no possible chance 
for pulling apart. The principal corner post .4 should 
be at least of 6x6 material. The method of construc¬ 
tion is plainly shown in the diagram. The pieces H It 
should be of 2x4 scantling, and nailed securely. The 
siding may be of one-inch boards, and if they are 
well-seasoned and matched, one thickness of boards 
will be entirely sufficient. Studding should be placed 
not more than two feet apart. It is unnecessary to 
explain in detail the drawing. The siding shown by 
/> I) I) is nailed securely to the 6x6 corner posts, and 
the siding shown by V, (' is so cut that it can be nailed 
to I he supplementary 2x4 studding. After construct¬ 
ing the corners in this way, so there is absolutely no 
chance for them to pull apart, the usual method of 
boarding across the corner may be followed so that 
the ensilage will settle more evenly, i.. \. ci.inton. 
QUICK FORAGE CROPS. The long-continued 
drought, and the evident shortage in the hay crop, 
are arousing much interest in the matter of quick¬ 
growing forage crops, or the best method to increase 
the supply of coarse fodder for our herds next Win¬ 
ter. There is little doubt that corn is still the best 
crop to grow for this purpose. The sweet varieties 
are preferable, because of their quicker g’-owth. 
Evergreen may be planted as late as July I and, if 
frosts hold off till after September 20, it will not only 
make large growth, but produce many ears. If hay is 
preferred, doubtless Hungarian glass or the millets 
are the bust, crops; the former makes a better grade 
of hay, but gives smaller yields than the millets. 
Both crops need to be supplied with a readily avail¬ 
able supply of nitrogen. Nitrate of soda, at the rate 
of 150 pounds per acre, lias been found economical on 
such crops. 
Another way to increase Hie hay crop where it is 
not desirable to plow, is to cut all early grasses and 
clovers at once, and then, as soon as rains appear, 
use nitrate of soda at the rate of 100 to 150 pounds per 
acre. This should stimulate a good growth of rowen, 
if attended to early. Rowen will seldom amount to 
much if the first crop is allowed to form seed. 
For the middle States, and even for southern New 
England, the cow pea or Green Hoy bean may still bo 
sown. I am a firm believer in the economy of the 
Green Hoy bean as an ensilage crop. Last year our 
Station grew a half acre of ensilage corn, and beside 
it. a half acre of Soy beans, and put them into the 
silo in alternate layers a few inches deep. Both crops 
were well seeded when cut for the silo; in fact, the 
corn was a little too ripe, owing to delay in securing 
our ensilage cutter. Thus the total weight of corn 
was somewhat lignter than it would have been if cut 
sooner. This, however, does not affect the compari¬ 
son of yields of protein. The Soy beans produced at 
the rate of 10 tons per acre, which gave 1,060 pounds 
of protein, while the ensilage corn produced about 15 
tons per acre, which gave 70!) pounds of protein. There 
is another advantage in the Soy beans they can be 
grown by the use of mineral fertilizers chiefly, while 
the corn requires much nitrogen. We have little use 
for sorghum where there is moisture enough to pro¬ 
duce corn. Orchard grass is a good crop to resist 
drought, but we would not advise Spring sowing with 
the hope of much of a crop the same year. 
Storrs Expt. Sta. [prof.] c. s. mircr.ps. 
Color and Quality of Fruits. 
On page 217, Fred Cranefield takes exception to my 
opinion as expressed in a former issue in regard to 
external color as related to the flavor of fruits. He 
then goes on to discuss the subject from the coloring 
of the internal parts, which is quite another division 
of the subject, and one that I did not mention. Whaf 
he logically concludes from certain copious quotations 
made by him from Prof. Goff’s record of experiments. 
I believe to be correct; that is, that the color of the 
flesh is some indication of its quality. 
In studying up this matter, 1 can easily call to 
mind the apples with yellowish-colored flesh, such as 
Esopus, Northern Spy, Tompkins King, Fall Pippin, 
If. I. Greening, Wincsap. Roman Stem, Hubbardston, 
Telman, Bailey and Grimes Golden, all of high qual 
ity, some being sour and some sweet, but all rich and 
good. But their external color, that of their skins, is 
no sign whatever of (heir high or low quality. This 
is just what 1 said in the former article, and it re¬ 
mains to be controverted. The Russian apples nearly 
all have whitish flesh, and are of very low quality. 
They are also exceptionally sour in nearly every case. 
But many of them are the most brilliantly colored 
outside of all apples. On the other hand, some of the 
most unattractive kinds in existence are the richest 
in flavor. A more delicious apple than Roman Stem 
is not to be found, yet it lias a dull green color that is 
anything but inviting. 
The color of the flesh sometimes shows through the 
skin sufficiently to give a good hint of what is inside, 
but it is not always so. The variety of apple called 
Surprise is rich yellow outside, while the flesh is as 
red as a beet and as sour as a crab apple. Whaf pear 
has a more Inviting appearance than Kieffer? But we 
all know how lacking it is in richness. 
Mr. Cranefield cites the Concord, Moore’s Early and 
Worden grapes (all dark in color) as being "all 
strongly add." I do not consider Worden and Con 
cord so acid as Elvira, which is green, and Alice, 
which is pale red. What plum is more viciously sour 
than Golden Beauty? The color of the flesh of fruits 
may, and I believe does, indicate, to some extent, 
their quality; but, from what I can now see, the out 
side coloring does not. I am anxious to learn, and 
have no desire to hold to any particular belief, pro 
vided, however, reasons are shown to warrant ils 
abandonment. 
Mr. Buekman refers to the peach as “the most no¬ 
ticeable example” of color as related to flavor in 
fruits. Yellow peaches seem to me, also, to be usually 
of high flavor, but they are not. always so. The 
Smock type is far from rich, yet the varieties are all 
yellow. The Heath and ils progeny are all white or 
creamy, and Iney are among the very richest in 
flavor and sugar. The varieties of the Indian or 
Spanish type are mostly sour and piquant; yet they 
are yellow, red and white, both inside and out. 
II. !•:. VAN DKMAN. 
A OiumhON Rambler rose bush in Philadelphia con 
tallied 0,000 blooms this season. The bush Is about 1') 
feet high. 
Ohohard grass has shown, this year, adaptability to 
my soil, and that I should cultivate It to the exclusion 
of othei grasses. Timothy will not grow for me, while 
clover demands a surface application of stable manure 
as prceodenl lo Its growing. But Orchard grass has done 
well without fertilizer in any form. it. n. 
Washington, D. 
An English paper states that an American advertiser 
paints signs on cows grazing In pastures near a railway. 
We have never inel with any of these hand painted cows, 
hut were once familiar with a live advertising sign In 
Chicago, a greyhound, which traveled about the city, 
heating painted or stained on Ids lean flanks tlx mime ol 
a certain popular light running sewing-machine. 
A MlNNKBOTA elect rieiail Is said to have devised ft 
method of preserving eggs by electrifying them. Thu 
eggs are painted with an airproof composition, after the 
air within them has been exhausted, ain't are then sub 
milted to a current strong enough to destroy germ life. 
We are not told whether, like most, "embalmed" eggs, 
they are then capable of electrifying the Consumer. 
lim Strawbkhkikh. A. T. Goldsborough, of Washing¬ 
ton, is said to have sent Secretary Wilson the large t 
strawberries on record at the Department of Agriculture. 
There were six of the berries, and they filled a quart box. 
The largest berry weighed four ounces, and was 1UV4 Inches 
In circumference.. The total weight of (he six was 18 2-5 
ounces, an average of over three ounces each. Their size 
made them look like ripe tomatoes. 
An electric cab in New York proved to possess «xph» 
Hive properties during the recent hot spell. One of Mi" 
heavy rubber tiros blew up with a report like an able- 
bodied cannon, nearly throwing the molorman off m 
seat. Tile heat of the pavements had healed the air III 
the tire, until the extra pressure caused It lo hurst. 'H;e 
automobile seems determined to replace the evil ti'aiM 1,1 
the horse with some extra-dlabollcal trick) of its own 
