March 12' 
i78 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
quarter inch. He changed the gearings [so that” the 
machine would feed slowly. A kettle of this cut clover 
was steaming in a corner of the shop. Some turnips 
and mixed feeds, with meat, are added, and in the 
morning, this mess goes to the hens. Of cotton-seed 
meal, he said, “ I like it better than, the hens do.” 
Gluten meal does better. Grits are well thought of 
by Mr. Chapman. He buys them in addition to shell. 
He feeds dry meats only when the supply of green 
meat runs out; horse beef and cow beef are used b 3 T 
him. Mr. Chapman succeeded in getting a good many 
eggs from his old hens in November and December, 
but they got tired of laying by that time. The pullets 
are the standbys! The flocks we saw had laid half 
their number of eggs that day, yet the windows were 
slid somewhat, and they were happy. 
To summarize : Winter eggs are laid by pullets which 
are hatched so early in the previous spring that they 
may reach maturity before cold weather sets in. Their 
early care keeps steadily in view the necessity for 
vigor, as well as growth. Activity and hardiness are 
sought. When beginning to lay, the pullets are given 
dry anl clean quarters, which are kept dry and clean. 
They are fed as much food as they will consume. This 
is so carefully varied and so judiciously fed, that it 
does not fatten the birds, but stimulates them to 
produce eggs. The litter in which they scratch, the 
dust-box in which they wallow, the high perches and 
nests, all contribute to make them lively and keep 
them happy. The happy hen is generally the profita¬ 
ble hen. Howard b. cannon. 
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WEEDER. 
Very Useful in the East 
I consider the weeder one of the most valuable in¬ 
ventions in the line of agricultural implements of re¬ 
cent times. There is, naturally, a right and wrong 
way to rise it; right and wrong conditions for the 
accomplishment of the objects in view. These ob¬ 
jects are, briefly, destroying weeds and pulverizing 
the surface of the soil, forming a shallow layer of 
finely divided and mellow earth which will act as a 
mulch, serving to prevent, to a large extent, the evap¬ 
oration of water which rises by capillary attraction 
from the more compact soil beneath. 
The weeder does the best work on soil of light or 
medium character, and when such soils contain but a 
moderate amount of moisture. On heavy clay soils, 
saturated with water, the weeder will not do good 
work. It fails to stir the soil sufficiently, the teeth 
sliding over the surface instead of taking hold of it. 
By the very frequent use of the implement, however, 
never waiting long enough to allow the soil to become 
thoroughly compacted, the weeder may do very good 
work, even upon soils which are quite claj r ey. But 
upon such soils, the harrow is often used with advan¬ 
tage alternately with the weeder. 
Weeders are effective, mainly, in destroying annual 
weeds. The myriad seedlings which start in many 
fields can be effectively destroyed when the weeder is 
used aright. It must be used, to prove effective, just 
as these weeds are breaking the ground. If the use of 
the weeder is delayed until such weeds have made deep 
roots, it will have comparatively little effect upon 
them. To prove most effective as a weed destroyer, 
the weeder should be employed when the soil is com¬ 
paratively free from water, and when the weather is 
hot, clear and dry. 
The weeder judiciously used on most soils will al¬ 
most entirely obviate the necessity of hand hoeing for 
all our large-growing crops. In my opinion, the 
weeder can be made even more valuable as a means of 
conserving soil moisture, than as a weed destroyer, 
and for this purpose, it should be used, often. When¬ 
ever a crust is seen to be forming upon the surface of 
the soil, the weeder is called for, even though no 
weeds are apparent, and the drier and hotter the 
weather, the more frequently it should be used. 
Massachusetts Agl. College, prof. wm. p. brooks. 
Its Use in Western Farming. 
One of the valuable implements of tillage is the 
weeder. If at any time, after the sowing of small 
grain, either before it comes up, or while it is less than 
three inches high, there should come a heavy rain, 
soaking the top of the ground so that it will run to¬ 
gether and form a crust upon drying, it is a good plan 
to run over the ground when dry enough, with the 
weeder to break up this crust. It can be used for this 
purpose on almost all crops before they come up ; on 
all kinds of rowed crops after they come up, it can be 
used both for breaking anjr crust that may form, and 
for killing young weeds, some of the teeth being re¬ 
moved where the rows come. 
With such crops as corn and potatoes, it is likely 
that the harrow will be a more effective instrument 
to use before the crops appear. With potatoes, the 
harrow may be used after they are of pretty good size ; 
it may make them look sick at the time, but they will 
soon get over it, and do not seem to be any the worse 
off for the shaking up they have had. As they are 
able to send out a branch from the base of each leaf 
stalk, it does not seem to hurt them to get a little 
broken, or somewhat covered up. In case of the corn, 
the crossbars of the harrow will drag it down, so that 
it will cover up rather more than is best. The weeder 
is high enough to obviate this difficulty, and if the 
ground is kept in a loose, friable condition, it will be 
very effective in destroying young weeds. The weeder, 
of course, must be kept pretty constantly going, pass¬ 
ing over the same ground every three or four days. 
But as it requires only one horse, and takes 12 feet 
(or three middles) at a time, it makes quite rapid 
work. 
If the ground is clean and in good shape when the 
corn comes through, it may be tended with the weeder 
ver 3 T nicely, until it is four or five inches high ; then 
give it a good, careful plowing. This will turn up a 
lot more seeds close enough to the top of the ground 
THE HEN NESTS AT FAIRVIEW FARM. Fig. 78. 
to sprout. As soon as they have germinated and 
begin to show themselves above the surface, it is a 
good time to put in the weeder again. The weeds 
being very tender, and the soil loose from the recent 
deeper stirring it has had, the weeder will do very 
effective work on the weeds, and will leave the sur¬ 
face more level for the next cultivation. If you can 
go crosswise with the weeder, of the way it was culti¬ 
vated, its work will be much more effectual than to 
follow in the same direction. The weeder finds its 
best adaptation in light sand 3 r or loamy soils, a stiff 
soil adhering too firmly together to be readily stirred 
by so light a tool. J. J. edgerton. 
Iowa Agricultural College. 
OPINIONS ON THREE FRUITS. 
RUTTER PEAR; YORK IMPERIAL, SUTTON BEAUTY APPLES. 
What is your opinion regarding the merits of the Rutter pear ? 
Is it worth planting ? In your opinion, which is the better apple, 
York Imperial or Sutton Beauty, and why ? 
After testing the Rutter pear for several years, 1 
am satisfied that it is of no value here for commercial 
purposes, hence 1 should say that it is not worth plant¬ 
ing. The two apples referred to are so entirely dif¬ 
ferent, that I hardly know how to answer. For home 
use or domestic markets, I should say that the Sutton 
is quite superior, in every sense, to the York Imperial. 
The qualit 3 ' of the fruit is, certainly much better, and 
WHITE LEGHORNS FROM TOMPKINS COUNTY N. Y. Fig. 79. 
combining as it does an extraordinarily perfect foliage 
and disposition to be an annual producer, it seems to 
me that it may be regarded as one of our very best 
new apples for the commercial grower. The York 
Imperial, as grown in the South, I fancy may be 
superior to that which is grown in more northern 
latitudes. I do not assert that this is a fact, but in 
man 3 r instances that have come under rny^ observation, 
it does not seem to take on the color and quality in 
this region that it does when grown where it origin¬ 
ated, or where it is more generally cultivated. My 
impression is that it may be a valuable apple for ex¬ 
port, because of its fine keeping properties, but none 
that I have ever eaten, in point of quality, can be 
compared with the Sutton Beauty. s. i>. willard. 
Ontario County, N. Y. 
I know very little about the Rutter pear, but what 
I have seen of it is not at all satisfactory, and I would 
not consider it worthy of planting in comparison with 
many other better kinds. York Imperial apple is not 
yet well tested here in New England, but it gives 
promise of being a valuable market apple here. It is 
rather larger and, perhaps, firmer and more solid than 
the Sutton Beauty, but I do not think it of as high 
quality for a table apple as the latter variety. Both, 
however, rank among the very best of Winter red 
apples for eastern cultivation. •!. h. hale. 
Connecticut. 
The Rutter pear has been planted so rarely here 
that almost nothing is known of it. The York Im¬ 
perial is far superior ; it is one of our best commercial 
apples. The Sutton Beauty is little planted, and its 
value is not known in the West. l. a. Goodman. 
Missouri. 
These varieties have not been tested in Iowa, or at 
least, not reported to me, or mentioned in the Horti¬ 
cultural Report. The Sutton Beauty and York Im¬ 
perial are by no means new, as they are discussed in 
Downing’s edition of 1869. The same is true of the 
Rutter pear. J. L. budd. 
Iowa. 
The Rutter pear I have never seen fruited in this 
section, and know nothing about it. The York Im¬ 
perial apple I have never seen grown in Connecticut, 
consequently cannot say anything of it. As grown in 
Pennsylvania, it is very highly esteemed. The Sutton 
Beauty we have grown in the nursery for several 
years. It has been jdanted in New England somewhat, 
is giving very good satisfaction, and will, I think, be 
largely planted throughout this section of the country. 
The samples I have seen of it were fine, both in 
appearance and quality, and the tree grows well. 
Connecticut. edwin iioyt. 
It is strange that so good an apple as Sutton 
Beauty should have remained so long unknown. But 
I suppose that no nurseryman got hold and boomed it. 
I have had it now three years in bearing, top-grafted 
on old trees, and it’has given me perfect satisfaction : 
in fact, I like it better and better. It is a little 
larger, and fully as handsome as the Baldwin in its 
best state, even handsomer, I think, as it is of better 
color ; its red is brighter and not quite so dark. It 
is of better quality, and fully as good a keeper, better, 
I think. Here comes the point of its great superiority 
over many of our winter sorts. Where we can get a 
crop of Baldwins once in a while, Sutton Beauty will 
give us an enormous crop every second year, certain, 
and I think, if properly thinned and not allowed to 
overbear, it will give a good crop eve^ year. I had 
a four-year-old graft, last 3 r ear, that bore over 200 
apples. If the Sutton has a fault, it will be in its 
tendenc 3 r to overbear; but then, is not that a much 
better one than to be shy in bearing ? Can’t we afford 
to thin ? But the short-jointed, stocky wood, and 
large, thick, leathery leaves on the Sutton show great 
health, and the ability to carry, if well fed and cared 
for, an enormous load of fruit. So far, with me, it 
has never shown a symptom of any form of disease. 
I am so well pleased with it that we shall graft it on 
a good many large trees this Spring. I am not afraid 
of getting too man 3 ^ of them. I want apples that are 
of good quality, and trees that will bear. 
Niagara County, N. Y. J. s. woodward. 
GRAFTING THE GRAPE. 
HOW, WHEN AND WHERE. 
I wish to graft a number of Worden and Concord grape vines 
this Spring, with some other varieties. What is the best method 
of procedure and what are the chances of success ? 
The grafting should be done the last of April or 
first of May. Remove the earth from the base of the 
vine, so as to insert the graft five or six inches below 
the surface. Saw the body off, split and insert a 
wedge-shaped graft the same as stock grafting in the 
tops of trees. The graft should be, say three or four 
eyes, or 10 to 12 inches long. When the graft is in¬ 
serted, draw back the earth, leaving the end of the 
scion out of the ground one or two buds, or from four 
to six inches. Done in this way, the grafts seldom 
fail, and will send up a growth of 10 to 12 feet in a 
season. edwin hoyt. 
Connecticut. 
I have had experience in grape grafting for about 
30 years. It can be done successful^, and if the vines 
are not too old, it is always better to graft the desired 
varieties on to the old vines, than to dig them up and 
plant young vines. The grafting should be done in 
Spring, not before the sap begins to flow, and can be 
done even after the vines have made a new growth of 
several inches : in fact, some of the most successful 
grafting I have done was after the vines had made a 
growth of six to eight inches. The scions should be 
cut and kept dormant until wanted, though this is 
not absolutely necessary. I have cut scions, and 
grafted them when the buds had made a growth of 
one-half inch or more, by breaking off these shoots, 
and depending on the secondary buds, with good suc¬ 
cess. The method of grafting is very simple. I use 
