882 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
December 23 
some farmers take, that, by using a mixture of potash 
and phosphoric acid in connection with a small 
amount of nitrogen, he can use the clover and keep up 
his yields of iwtatoes. That has not been his experi¬ 
ence; in fact, he is convinced that a crop like pota¬ 
toes demands a high-grade mixture, containing nitro¬ 
gen, potash and phosphoric acid in different forms. 
His idea seems to be that the clover is more useful in 
Its mechanical effect upon the soil than in the amount 
of fertility which it adds. While possibly for crops 
like fruit or, to some extent, with corn, the clover 
and the minerals might produce fair crops, situated as 
he is, Mr. Osborn considers it economy to use the 
high-grade goods in connection with the clover. He 
thinks that he can use less of them and obtain good 
results, but he believes it would be poor economy to 
attempt to weaken the quality. He says that when 
the clover is plowed into the ground at the proper 
time, with rye plowed in beside it, one can see tbe 
difference in the two strips of land, practically all 
through the life of the crop. On this light sandy soil 
the clover is peculiarly effective. 
In our own experience we have found that the Crim¬ 
son clover decays in the soil faster than any other 
form of humus we have ever plowed in. We have 
tried in the same field Crimson clover, stable manure, 
rye, and the sod of an ordinary meadow. By August, 
the Crimson clover had nearly disappeared; there was 
hardly enough in the soil to color the ground, al¬ 
though when plowed under it was the heaviest growth 
of all. The manure could be quite plainly seen, while 
the rye and the sod had hardly begun to decay. We 
think, therefore, that Crimson clover can be called 
the most soluble of all humus crops, and we would 
rather have it than manure for crops like potatoes and 
corn. Mr. Osborn has grown two and three crops of 
potatoes in succession without serious difficulty from 
scab or rot. Crimson clover or rye seems to be in one 
sense a cleaning crop, for when grown between two 
crops of potatoes it seems to leave the land in better 
condition than where nothing was grown upon it. 
Many experiments with nitrate of soda have shown 
that for such crops as potatoes this form of nitrogen 
is ahead of any other, especially for early growth. In 
some cases a dressing of nitrate so small that the 
most delicate chemical tests could not find it by soil 
analysis has nearly doubled the crop. Mr. Osborn 
is convinced that the minerals and clover will not 
take the place of the 'high-grade mixture. 
PRIMITIVE TWINE MAKING. 
The arid foothills of the mountains of Mexico are 
covered with a great variety of plants producing use¬ 
ful fibers, among which are a number of palms, 
Yuccas and Agaves, the latter popularly known in 
the North as century plants, from the long intervals 
between their flowering periods. A considerable num¬ 
ber of species are used by the Mexicans, the quality 
of the fibers extracted varying in length and fineness 
of staple. The inner leaves only of the plants are 
used. They form a central bunch called a “cogollo,” 
which is gathered by means of an iron ring attached 
to the end of a strong short staff. This ring is slipped 
over the cogollo, and a quick wrench breaks it loose. 
The man gathers a backload in this way, proceeds 
to the shade of a bush or tree, and begins to clean 
out the fiber with a few primitive tools. This raw 
fiber is called ixtle in Mexico, and Tampico fiber in 
our imports, as nearly all of it is shipped from the 
port of Tampico, on the Gulf coast of northern Mex¬ 
ico. We get 6,000 to 8,000 tons of it yearly, but the 
value has steadily declined from $111.56 per ton in 
1884 to $50.83 in 1898, owing to competition from 
Yucatan and some of the West Indian Islands. 
The Agave is quite an important plant to the Mex¬ 
ican, as it furnishes him as well with pulque, the 
national beverage, the fermented sap of the young 
flower shoot, and mescal, which is distilled from the 
sap of other varieties. The fleshy rootstocks of other 
species of Agave are universally used as a substitute 
for soap throughout the wilder parts of Mexico, and 
form the chief constituent of the now well-known 
“amole soap” manufactured in Illinois. The root of 
a Yucca is also used in the same manner. 
FROG FARMING IN AMERICA. 
The papers often contain articles on frog farming, 
in which wonderful statements are made as to the 
great profits to be obtained by breeding frogs. When 
hunted down these statements generally have very 
little basis of fact. Lately these articles have stated 
that the United States Fish Commissioner is experi¬ 
menting with frogs, and that he advocates their breed¬ 
ing in large numbers. This turns out to be a false 
report. The Commissioner has issued a pamphlet on 
the ediible frogs of the United States, but he is careful 
to say that at present he would advise nothing but 
the stocking of natural waters with breeding frogs. 
He says that the value of frogs as a food is now thor¬ 
oughly recognized; commonly only the hind legs are 
utilized, but in some localities the entire body, after 
removing the skin, is fried with eggs and bread 
crumbs. For a long time the French people alone 
consumed frogs, but the use of this food has now 
passed to other European countries, and to the United 
States. The annual catch in the United States is but 
little less than 1,000,000, consumers paying about 
$150,000 for this delicacy. Most of the frogs are 
caught with hook and line, shot with small-bore rifles, 
or captured with spears. Many of them are caught 
along the St. Lawrence River, while in the basin of 
the St. Francis River in Arkansas and Missouri, frog- 
catching is a considerable business. In fact, the un¬ 
restricted hunting of frogs threatens their practical 
extinction in some places, and this, among other 
things, has started interest in frog culture. 
The Commissioner gives an interesting account of 
the breeding and growth of the frog. It appears that 
the tail of the tadpole is finally absorbed, furnishing 
material for growth, so that little food is taken dur¬ 
ing this period. It is generally believed that the frog 
lives for 12, 15, or even 20 years. The picture shown 
at Fig. 323 shows the common bullfrog, as produced 
in this country. The Commissioner says that one of 
the great difficulties in frog culture is to produce liv¬ 
ing food for them. Some people place meat and de¬ 
caying matter around the ponds in order to attract 
flies and insects for the frogs, but this contaminates 
the water, and the frogs, failing in the supply of more 
natural food, begin to devour one another. After the 
tadpole form is changed, the frogs demand living food. 
It is comparatively easy to rear the tadpoles. The 
young are protected by building a closed fence around 
the edge of the pond, to keep out four-footed enemies, 
while a screen protects the tadpole from birds. The 
food required for this period is easily provided by sup¬ 
plying animal refuse, liver or such material, of course, 
not leaving a surplus to putrefy and spoil the water. 
The more abundant the food and the warmer the 
water, the more rapid is the growth. The adult frogs 
must be kept away from the tadpoles, for they seem to 
love the frogs’ legs even as well as the French people. 
The critical time occurs when the tadpoles change to 
adults, and this is the time when most frog farms 
prove failures. There is a frog farm in Ontario which 
has been in operation for about 20 years. The waters 
are simply stocked with mature frogs. No attempt is 
made to confine the frogs until near the time for ship¬ 
ping; then they are taken alive at night and confined 
in small pens, which are drained when the frogs are 
wanted for market. No food is given on this farm, 
and yearly yields of 5,000 pounds of the best frog legs 
are produced. Probably some such system as this is 
at present about the only practical way of breeding 
frogs. The Fish Commissioner is still experimenting 
with this matter, and may possibly discover some 
practical way of providing for the tadpoles after they 
have consumed their own 'tails. 
ELECTRIC ROADS AND FARM PROPERTY. 
Many of our readers seem to be much interested in 
the introduction of electric railroads, and they wish to 
know how these roads have affected farmers. Have 
these roads increased the value of farm property in your 
township? If such an increase has taken place, has it 
been general all over the township, or merely along the 
roads where the trolley lines run? Has it made any dif¬ 
ference in your road taxes; that is, has there been a 
greater demand for good roads since the trolley was 
built? We would like to know if possible, just how these 
electric lines are influencing farm life and property. 
SEE TO YOUR RIGHTS—The trolley in our vicin¬ 
ity has not as yet affected the farmers in any appre¬ 
ciable way. This town of 7,000 inhabitants is con¬ 
nected with a neighboring town, 10 miles away, with 
a population of about 9,000. Along the direct trolley 
route the price of land has increased considerably, 
because a number of real estate agents have tried to 
boom lots, but it has not been very successful. Not 
many houses have been built, and those that are built 
are not so good as the average house in town. Of 
course there are advantages and pleasures in owning 
one’s own home, but if one work or do business in 
town, every time the 'head of the family or any mem¬ 
ber of it goes out of the door there’s always an ex¬ 
pense connected therewith, which in the aggregate 
amounts to a good deal during the year. It would 
have been cheaper and far better in my opinion to 
pay more for one’s lot and had it within borough 
limits. Taxes have not been increased because of the 
trolley, but it is a nuisance along our main street, 
which is too narrow to allow the trolley track and 
permit public travel in perfect safety. Before the 
trolley tracks were laid the town did not secure the 
rights which it should, and which could be obtained 
very easily at that time. 
Improper rails and the use of town bridges were 
allowed. Clearing of snow was not secured, which 
becomes a great nuisance after a heavy fall of snow 
has been shoved into the sides of a narrow street, 
already overloaded from sidewalk shoveling. Hun¬ 
dreds of wheels have been wrecked by these tracks 
in Summer, and many tipovers in Winter. Before you 
allow a trolley, which certainly is a public conveni¬ 
ence, to lay tracks in your streets, see that you get all 
rights, repairs, etc., that are possible. You will get 
nothing after the tracks are laid, unless it’s “written 
in the bond.” n. g. Manchester. 
FACTS ABOUT HARTFORD, CONN.—It is hard to 
give any estimate in cash value of the advanced price 
of real estate, for there is practically no property for 
sale in this old settled community along the streets 
where the trolley lines run. Over 80 of the farm 
homes are owned by descendants of the original set¬ 
tlers, and there is a sentimental value about them 
that rarely allows them to come on the general mar¬ 
ket. Still, what few farms have been sold since the 
trolley lines were built, have, I think, been increased 
in value from 25 to 40 per cent, while the outlying 
farms are counted to be worth from 10 to 25 per cent 
more, where they are one to three miles away. Road 
taxes are increasing, because we are appreciating and 
demanding better roads all the time. It is costing us 
more to live along the trolley lines, simply because 
we are living better and having more of the conveni¬ 
ences and luxuries of town and city life. Citj 7- people 
are also coming out into the country, and there is a 
general mixing up that is doing us all good. 
There are six lines of trolley cars radiating out of 
Hartford to a 10-mile limit, and on these lines there 
are 19 small local post offices, and five others not 
more than two miles off from the trolley lines. These 
post offices serve the mail to about 25,000 country 
people, and we are just beginning to agitate the sub¬ 
ject of making all this outlying district into sub¬ 
stations of Hartford post office, as all these trolley- 
car lines center there, and with well-equipped postal 
cars would distribute the mails to carriers at most 
convenient street corners, and so deliver mail directly 
into the homes of all these families very quickly, and 
at small cost. Practically everybody 'is in favor of 
this, except the small country postmasters, and some 
fellows who hope later on to be postmasters. Many 
of these small offices would have to be maintained as 
sub-stations, with clerkships under the general office, 
for the sale of stamps, money orders, etc. The thing 
is bound to come sooner or later, and in a few weeks 
we are going to have a sort of mass meeting of in¬ 
terested citizens from all the towns round about, to 
talk the thing over. j. h. iiai.e. 
The New York Commercial says that sugar-beet grow¬ 
ers in the vicinity of Kalamazoo, Mich., are discouraged 
at the results of the first year’s crop. The yield is only 
3 Vz tons per acre. Dry weather is the cause of the 
small crop. 
It is said that the Big Four Railroad, which owns a 
large tract of land in Indiana, is going to plant it to 
trees, which, when matured, can be worked into ties. The 
Catalpa is the variety of tree selected for this experi¬ 
ment. On account of its quick growth, it is estimated 
that in 16 years the timber will be large enough to use 
to advantage. 
Owing to floods in the rubber-producing sections o*’ 
Brazil, it is believed that the amount of rubber col¬ 
lected this season will be comparatively small. When 
these lands are flooded, many of the collectors fall 
victims to swamp fevers, and others return homo to 
avoid sickness. Thus far the season’s crop shows a 
shortage of 600 tons. 
We have tried both prose and poetry to head off the 
fake stories about skunk farming. Now, here is a note 
from Hon. James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture: “I 
have not a particle of faith in the profitableness of any 
such venture. I am not aware that this Department has 
done anything official in this direction. There are so 
many subjects worthy of consideration by the Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture that the question of skunk farming 
will not happen to be discussed during my incumbency.” 
Not long since we mentioned the fact that the Armour 
Packing Company is making a business of separating 
eggs; the yolks and the whites are canned separately. 
This is done entirely by hand, the yolks being put into 
one can and the whites in another. As soon as the cans 
are filled they are sealed and frozen, when they will keep 
in cold storage for an unlimited time. In some cases 
the yolks and whites are put together. These frozen 
eggs are used by cracker makers all over the country and 
there seems to be a great demand for them. Thus, the 
American hen is represented by a frozen product after all. 
