5io 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
July 23 
ft HAT THEY SAY. 
Spea king of planting 1 a late crop of peas, W. W. 
Rawson, a noted market gardener of Massachusetts, 
says that he has taken some pains to investigate the 
matter. lie finds that, if e*+rly varieties like Nott’s 
Excelsior, American Wonder or Little Gem are 
planted late, there is little danger of mildew. Thfey 
make strong and upright vines, and are not liable to 
mildew like the tall-growing varieties. 
Trimming thk Incubator Lamp. — An inquirer 
writes to know the best way to trim the lamp. I 
have one lamp which has not been out for seven 
weeks. It burns square and clear yet. It is trimmed 
by rubbing a tenpenny nail across the burner once a 
day. I get the wick cut just right at first, and then 
rub off only the crust, and it will be the same shape 
as before. It will burn down evenly each time. 
c. e. c. 
Cheap Dynamite. —Dynamite can be purchased in 
Cincinnati for 10 cents per pound, and it is first-class. 
I have purchased it in other towns at 20 cents per 
pound, not one-half as good. I used about 50 pounds 
last Spring in blasting stumps and bowlders, and did 
great execution. Dynamite also works well in blast¬ 
ing out a hole for fruit trees in our hard clay soil, as 
the ground is so thoroughly loosened that the roots 
take hold at once, jr. l. v. 
Crestvue, O. 
Stacking Headed Grain. —Considerable has been 
said about the use of headers in gathering grain on a 
western plain. The headed wheat should be stacked 
in narrow stacks from 12 to 14 feet wide, in order that 
it may cure better. Since Russian thistles became 
numerous in the West, considerable trouble has been ex¬ 
perienced by having them mixed with the headed grain 
It is usually greener than wheat, and when put into 
the stack, is liable to fo ment and spoil more or less 
grain. 
Farm Name Wanted, —We have often urged our 
readers to name their farms. We think that a good 
name helps to give character to a farm, and is profit¬ 
able in a business way. It is hard sometimes to pick 
out just the right name for a farm. One of our readers 
in New England wants a name for a fruit farm and 
orchard bordering on one of the largest lakes in 
Plymouth County, Mass. Such names as “ Lakeview ” 
and “ Lakeside ” are barred out, but a striking name 
is wanted. Will some of our readers please put on 
their thinking caps and see what they can suggest as 
an appropriate name for this farm ? 
Storing English Wheat. —English farmers are still 
talking about storage silos, as they are called. They 
want the English government to buy up at least one 
year’s supply of wheat, and keep it in warehouses 
against times of war or famine. It turns out that 
English wheat could not be kept in this way, as it is 
softer than the wheat from California and British 
Columbia. The only way to store it successfully 
would be to mix it with this hard, brittle wheat. 
British farmers are advised, however, to hold their 
wheat in a stack, for when properly stacked, it will 
keep for years, and be always ready for thrashing. 
Tiie Carman Potatoes. —A reader in Massachusetts 
says that he bought a bushel of what were supposed 
to be Carman No. 3 potatoes. As they grow, he finds 
two distinct varieties. The plants of one stand up 
straight, have a dark-green color, the others sprawl 
on the ground, look weak and shiftless, and are light 
green. Which is which ? The characteristic of The 
R. N.-Y. No. 2 and Carman No. 3, is the fact that the 
plants grow upright. They have a dark, leathery 
foliage, and a dark, almost purple stem. It is safe to 
say that a light green plant which sprawls on the 
ground early in its career, is unworthy to bear the 
name of Carman No. 3. 
Hard Place for Hydraulic Ram. —J. S. Wetmore, 
of Connecticut, comments on the article printed on 
page 481, in which Mr. Sengerspeaksof using hydraulic 
rams. Mr. Wetmore thinks that, on account of the 
small supply of water, the locating of this ram re¬ 
quires the nicest discrimination. It is a question, he 
thinks, whether it can be made to work. He says that 
80 feetof drive pipe would be fatal ; 40 feet of lj^-inch 
pipe would give the best possible results. This size of 
pipe would let water through without friction, while 
too much pipe of small size, would give such a slow 
motion as to retard the action of the ram. The great 
length of the pipe, also, would provide too heavy a 
column of water to be forced back by the reaction of 
the water in the discharge pipe. He says that the 
pipe can be attached to the ram by means of a reducer 
near the ram. He sees no practical value in the siphon 
suggested by Mr. Senger ; in fact, he would consider 
it a hindrance to the free action of the ram, which 
would greatly overbalance the securing of the water 
that is below the top of the pipe. If the ram is draw¬ 
ing the water to any extent, below the continual 
supply of the spring, it is bound to stop anyway, as 
soon as it is low enough to suck air into the supply 
pipe, and the elbow is certainly a hindrance. Other¬ 
wise, he considers the advice as good as could be made. 
Forcing Asparagus. —Many of our readers have 
been more or less interested in efforts to force as¬ 
paragus. This vegetable is gaining in popularity all 
over the country, and prices during the past few 
years have usually ruled high. There is a good de¬ 
mand for very early asparagus; efforts have, there¬ 
fore, been made to force it ahead of its regular season. 
We have told our readers how this has been done by 
placing a barrel over several plants, or even building 
a small frame over an outdoor bed, with steam heat 
driven into it. Prof. Stinson, of the Missouri Experi¬ 
ment Station (Columbia), has issued a bulletin in 
which he gives the results of some experiments in 
forcing asparagi’.s by steam heat. Trenches were dug 
at intervals through the field, and covered so that the 
heat would be retained. Steam pipes were then laid 
across the field with connections so that the steam 
could be forced into these trenches. In this way the 
steam spread through the ground, warming it and 
forcing the asparagus into an early growth. The 
experiment met with much success, and produced a 
very early crop. This note is hardhy seasonable at 
this time, but we call attention to it as an interesting 
fact, and before the time comes for putting this 
process in operation, we hope to be able to give the 
full particulars. 
Kettle for Cooking Feed. —I have a kettle set in 
a sheet-iron jacket, which is very handy for cooking 
feed for the hens. It was set in the basement part of 
our two-story henhouse, on the ground, as it has no 
grates or bottom. The steam would fill the room and 
wet the walls ‘‘wringing wet.” I disliked to put it 
somewhere else, as I do not like to carry stuff, and 
must save all the steps I can. After some study, I 
tried a cover rigged as shown at Fig. 231. A tin cover 
was made to fit the top, and a two-inch pipe attached 
to it and the stove pipe. A piece was made to slip 
over the rest so the cover can be taken off easily. 
Even when the cover is not down square, no steam 
comes out into the room. It is a perfect success, aud 
not patented. The capacity of the kettle is increased 
nearly a bushel, as the potatoes will cook in the steam 
at the top sooner than in the boiling water below. 
_C. E. CHAPMAN. 
EGGS IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER. 
HOW TO TRAIN THE HENS. 
One of the hardest problems that confronts the 
poultryman seems to be the getting of eggs in October 
and November. It is our opinion that there is less 
difficulty in securing Winter eggs than in getting an 
egg supply during the months mentioned. We have 
asked a number of poultrymen as to their methods in 
overcoming this difficulty. 
Make Light Bralimas Moult. —The proprietor 
of Ilartnest Farm says that feeding Brahmas a strong 
ration encourages early moulting, and brings the liens 
to laying in October. By strong ration, he means one 
high in protein and comparatively low in fat. lie 
boils pea meal until it is a very thin gruel, and into 
this mixes a meal composed of wheat meal, oatmeal, 
bran, linseed meal and barley meal, until the mash is 
crumbly. He wishes his fowls to eat all possible of 
this mash, yet to scratch all day ; so the mash is fed 
at night, all they will eat up clean. Only enough 
small grain is fed for breakfast and dinner to keep 
them busy scratching for it. Grit, fresh water, fresh 
air, green food, clean quarters, are essential. Early- 
hatched chicks are indispensable ; late-hatched chicks 
are always behind in moulting and laying. 
Leghorn Pallets Surest. —B. Holmes says that 
there is more profit from 50 eggs laid from the middle 
of September to the middle of December, than from 
150 eggs laid during the rest of the year. He never 
could make a flock of old hens lay much during the 
time mentioned, and does not know of anybody who 
can. Occasional specimens which were allowed to sit 
early and have had a rest, can be brought to laying 
early, but they comprise a small portion of the aver¬ 
age flock. The surest way to get early layers is to 
hatch Leghorns or Minorcas early in March, keep 
them growingevery day, dispose of the males, and the 
pullets will begin in September and keep it up, at least 
until cold weather sets in. He says that most of them 
will quit and will begin to moult. These should be 
sold at once and the feed bill stopped. His opinion is 
that they will then have made more money for the 
owner than they would if kept two years. By this 
time, pullets of the larger breeds should begin to lay, 
and keep it up all Winter, with proper housing and 
food. Hens will moult later and later each year. He 
would never keep a late-moulting bird unless she were 
an extraordinarily good breeder, and he wished her 
progeny. 
Plymouth Rock Pullets.— A. G. Gilbert, Poul¬ 
try Manager of the Canadian Central Experiment 
Farm, says that, last year, they hatched B. P. Rock 
pullets March 10, which laid about the end of Septem¬ 
ber, and continued well throughout the Winter. Their 
chicks are usually hatched by hens in May or early 
June and lay late in December, sometimes sooner. 
He intends to try artificial hatching and rearing of 
chicks, next year. He realized, several years ago, 
that hens moult too late, as a rule. The moult of 
young hens can be brought on sooner, and shortened 
by proper care, diet and range. Last moulting sea¬ 
son, they used deodorized blood meal instead of cut 
green bone, and did not find results so satisfactory. 
This year, they purpose to try cut green bone, or pos¬ 
sibly boiled livers, heads, etc. As a rule, their hens 
show a profit of §1.75 to §2 each per annum, but they 
sell many eggs for hatching at §1 per sitting ; still he 
thinks that, if turned into poultry, these eggs would 
pay almost as well. 
Care of the Hens. —C. S. Brooks, of the Michigan 
Agricultural College, says that they get as many pullets 
hatched in February, March and April as possible. 
These can be made to lay in August or September, 
and continue until the moulting period of the next 
year. It is hard work to get them started again after 
moulting, as a hen must have some rest. Moulting 
hens generally start laying again in December or 
January. The pullets are better egg-producers than 
one-year-olc hens. Their morning feed is scraps from 
the table, or cooked roots mixed with bran, ground 
oats, corn meal and middlings so that the mixture is 
quite dry. Twice a week, oil meal is given, alternat¬ 
ing with sunflower seeds at the rate of one pint for 30 
hens, also ground bone and lard scrap at the same 
ratio ; at night give a grain ration mixed so as to give 
a change during the week—grain, corn, oats, wheat, 
barley, buckwheat, Hungarian grass seed. Plenty of 
scratching material is furnished. Laying hens require 
a warm place to sleep, and plenty of exercise in order 
to produce eggs in late Fall and Winter. This treat¬ 
ment gives them good results, and they are able to 
gather eggs all through the year, though the quantity 
is smaller during the moulting season. 
Americans vs. Asiatics. —W. P. Wheeler, of the 
New York Experiment Station, has no reliable method 
of forcing hens so that they will lay in October. Some 
hens fed a fairly nitrogenous ration containing con¬ 
siderable old-process linseed meal, finished moulting 
earlier than others having a ration containing con¬ 
siderable starchy and fatty foods. After hens have 
begun to moult, as well as a few weeks before they 
begin, he would feed a liberal and rather narrow ration 
containing animal food or some nitrogenous grain 
food mixed with the ordinary grains. With Leghorns, 
it is always easier to secure October eggs from the 
early pullets, the hens seldom laying until late in 
November. Cochin hens have often laid well in 
October, beginning late in September, and laying 
through the Winter. He has had Game and Asiatic 
hens lay in the Fall. Best results can be secured from 
the American, or possibly, from some of the Asiatic 
breeds, so far as securing October eggs is concerned, 
but he would rather depend on Leghorn pullets. He 
believes that early moulting is largely an individual 
characteristic, and can be secured by selection in 
breeding. 
Force Early Pullets. —Jas. Dryden, of the Utah 
Experiment Station, has had no experience in forcing 
hens to lay in October and November. In their ex¬ 
periments last year, their hens did not stop laying 
until October, and one pen of late-hatched pullets did 
not stop until November. Those same hens laid no 
eggs for two months afterwards. He questions 
whether it is possible, by any method of treatment, 
to get hens over their moulting, and laying again in 
October or even November. It is, doubtless, true that 
