1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
529 
necessary moisture. Hut by overstocking 1 as T have 
indicated, the sheep will keep the grass so closely 
eaten, that it will take no more moistui'e from the 
soil than would evaporate from the surface if well 
cultivated. They will keep down every weed and the 
sprouts so often growing about the trees, and now 
when fed sufficient food to keep them in a thriving 
condition, the droppings will so enrich the land as 
greatly to benefit the trees. 
If he put in the requisite number of sheep, there 
will be a space all about under each tree with no grass 
at all, and the sheep in lying in the shade will leave 
the most of the manure there just where it will do 
most good. One hundred sheep on 10 acres of or¬ 
chard are none too many, and this number should 
have as much wheat bran as will keep them growing. 
This can be purchased with what it would cost to 
hire them pastured at S3 per week. Bran is now 
worth $12 per ton, and the $3 would buy 500 pounds 
which, run in a barnyard, will keep them in better 
condition than if running in the finest pasture with 
only what they would pick. Of Course, at the present 
price of clover hay, he could keep them for less money 
by feeding that instead of the bran ; but the trouble 
would be that the manure from the sheep when eating 
the clover would lack the very elements most needed 
by the trees—the potash and phosphoric acid—and 
contain too much nitrogen. The 500 pounds of bran 
fed each week, or the five tons fed in 20 weeks, would 
contain 267 pounds of nitrogen, 289 pounds of phos¬ 
phoric acid, and 161 pounds of potash, which would 
cost to go into the market and buy, over $60, the cost 
of the bran. As will be seen, this would be a good, 
liberal manuring for the orchard, deficient, if in any¬ 
thing, in the potash. 
But if he would so treat his orchard, he must be sure 
to provide a constant supply of fresh water, or his 
sheep will surely eat the bark from the trees. If this 
man will try this plan faithfully, I think he will be 
surprised to see how the trees will change in appear¬ 
ance, and that they will soon respond by fruitfulness. 
Many an orchard is tilled to its harm. It is plowed 
just when it should not be, and plowed so deep that 
much of the root system is injured. If he tills this 
orchard, it should be plowed shallow only, not over 
three inches deep, plowed only once a year, and then 
in the Spring before commencing active growth. For 
the after cultivation, nothing is better than a slant¬ 
ing-toothed smoothing harrow, or if not worked quite 
so often, a spring-tooth harrow. If the smoothing 
harrow be run over the ground once in two weeks, 
first one way and then crosswise, it will keep down all 
weeds and keep the surface fine and mellow. About 
August 1, he should sow Crimson clover, or if that 
does not succeed, two weeks later, sow rape or turnips 
with oats and rye, some crop to fill the surface, keep 
down weeds, prevent washing during Winter, to be 
ready to plow under the following Spring. But with 
this method of treatment, he will find it profitable to 
apply extra potash and phosphoric acid in some form. 
We have, on one of our farms, Roxbury Russets in 
two orchards-; in one they bear well almost annually, 
in the other, they don’t bear at all to amount to any¬ 
thing. Both are, or have been, in grass, but this year, 
we have plowed the barren orchard, and are working 
it and trying an experiment. We are either going to 
find out some way of making it fruitful, or “ off goes 
its head ”, and in goes some kind that will bear. 
This problem of apple growing is a mighty intricate 
one. When we think we have it down to an assured 
success, some little factor bobs up that upsets all our 
figures, and we have to try again, j. s. woodward. 
Niagara County, N. Y. 
ROADS ON LONG ISLAND SHORES. 
THE WRONG KIND OF STONE. 
The building of good roads on a sandy soil like that 
found along the south shore of Long Island, presents 
some difficulties not met on clay or heavier soils ; still 
it can be done. Mr. Chas. L. Young, of Orient, says 
that they have gained some valuable information in 
the matter of road-making, and the only difficulty he 
can see in the way of macadamizing their roads, is to 
raise the necessary amount of money. The ability to 
do this does not depend so much on the wealth of the 
community as it does on the public spirit of its citizens. 
They are situated right on the seashore, and the 
soil is almost entirely sand, in which gravel will not 
pqujk. There is plenty of gravel on the shore, and it 
washes up at every tide, and on a clay soil, this would 
make fine roads. Prof. Harrison has said that this would 
make the road heave with the frost and become muddy 
and poor ; this is due to the fact that it becomes 
water-soaked, and round stones make a leaky roof for 
a road. He thinks that the little, round, beach stones, 
about the size of hens’ eggs, would answer for a road 
foundation, provided they could be kept still long 
enough to be covered with crushed trap rock as a fin¬ 
ishing coat. He thinks this can be done by throwing 
a small quantity of loam over the stones after they 
are in place. 
Mr. Young says that they have no stone on Long 
Island which will do for a surface coat, and he thinks 
that Prof. Harrison has hit upon the cheapest and 
most feasible method of road building for a country 
like theirs. They can buy the crushed trap rock, 
freighted directly to the end of the road in a schooner, 
and hire a man for a boss who understands building 
good roads. With the beach stones for a foundation, 
and the labor of carting, etc., subscribed, they can 
lessen the cash outlay nearly one-half. Broken stone 
would, doubtless, make a much better foundation than 
beach stones. One thing they need is to change the 
system of road labor from working out the tax to pay¬ 
ing it in cash, which will give them some money for 
public improvements. He says that, if they paid their 
road taxes in cash and spent what time they could spare 
in building stone roads all through their district, in 10 
years, they would have a complete system of stone 
roads, which would reduce the road tax to a merely 
nominal sum, as well as add to the value of their real 
estate, at least 25 per cent. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name and address of 
the writer to insure attention. Before asking a question please 
see whether it is not answered in our advertising columns. Ask 
only a few questions at one time. Put questions on a separate 
piece of paper.] 
Kieffer and Garber Pears. 
1). I). W., Portland , (). —I wish to set a pear orchard of such 
varieties as are likely to yield the most profit, regardless of other 
considerations. I am inclined to favor Kieffer, Garber, Angou- 
lfirne (standard), and Tyson. What is your opinion of this list, 
and do you know of others that you would plant instead ? 
Ans. —There are, at present, no pears that promise 
better financial returns than Kieffer and Garber. The 
former is too well-known to need further mention of 
its character, but Garber is little known. It is earlier 
than Kieffer, but otherwise similar in productiveness, 
size, flavor, etc. Some think it better in quality, but 
I cannot notice much, if any improvement in flavor. 
It will mature a little better in the short season of 
the North than Kieffer. These two varieties are the 
greatest business pears of the country. Angouleme 
is not productive as a standard, but it is the most 
profitable of all kinds as a dwarf. Tyson is a delicious 
early pear, but it is small and very delicate, and dif¬ 
ficult to handle when ripe. Elizabeth is an early 
pear, of not so good flavor, and even smaller than 
Tyson; but it is more profitable. Usually there is 
not much money in early pears. h. k. v. d. 
Preserving Fruits for Exhibition. 
F. At. S'. , Magnolia, Del. —Is there any way to keep green fruits 
such as cherries, plums, grapes, etc., in alcohol to exhibit in 
glass? I have an idea that this would be a better and cheaper 
way than cold storage, and the same fruit would answer several 
purposes ? 
Ans. —The best formula that has been reported to 
us was printed on page 350. It consists of 18 parts of 
w r ater, one part of formaldehyde, one part of glycerin. 
Distilled water would be best, although ordinary 
water, if boiled and filtered, would, probably, answer 
fairly well. Fruits like strawberries are very difficult 
to preserve in any solution. Most of the nurserymen 
either use a mixture of alcohol and water, or a solu¬ 
tion of salicylic acid. We would much prefer cold 
storage fruits for exhibition, if they can be had in 
quantities so as to keep up a perfect supply. 
Decorative Plants and Pelargoniums. 
Inquirer (No address ).— 1. What are the best decorative plants 
for Summer use on a veranda or lawn where dry, hot winds and 
the sun are prevalent ? 2. What treatment should be given 
Pelargoniums during the Summer ? 
Ans. —1. For such a situation as you describe, at¬ 
tractive Summer plants would be the Elephant’s Ear 
Caladium ; any of the French Gannas ; rubber tree ; 
such palms as Latania Borbonica, Phoenix reclinata 
or lventia Belinoreana ; Pandanus utilis, Aspidistras, 
Cycas ; clumps of the variegated reed, Arundo donax 
variegata, and other ornamental grasses. Of course, 
in the situations you describe, you must be able to 
give abundant water when the plants need it. Orna¬ 
mental Gannas are very handsome in a large tub or in 
a big ornamental pot. aDd it is a wonder that we do 
not see them oftener in such a situation. 2. When 
your Pelargoniums have finished flowering, you should 
begin to dry them off so that they will ripen the wood, 
but not sufficiently to turn them yellow. About the 
middle of August, cut them back to about three eyes 
on each shoot remaining ; in fact, you may cut them 
back to within two or three inches of the main stem. 
Put them in a frame or other shaded situation for 
about two weeks, giving but little water, then begin 
to water quite freely so as to start them into growth. 
Bring them into a cool greenhouse in the Fall, keep¬ 
ing them in a temperature of 45 degrees. By beginning 
a little more liberal treatment in the way of water, in 
the beginningof the year, you will soon cause them to 
make abundant growth, ready for the next flowering 
season. 
Rape as Ensilage. 
W. II. II.. Missouri Valley. la. —How slioulil rape n.u<l corn be 
mixed to make ensilage for hogs ? 
Ans. —It would not do at all. There is no use try¬ 
ing to cut rape for dry fodder or for ensilage. Its 
only value is as green food or pasture. Left the sheep 
or hogs eat it down, or cut it and throw it to them. 
What AUs the Ducks ? 
D. .4., Otsego County, Af. Y. —I feed my ducks half corn tnea 
and half bran. They have plenty of fresh water and green stuff, 
and are kept yarded. Their symptoms areas follows; When first 
taken, they cannot walk, act like a drunken person, finally seem 
to lose the use of their legs entirely and die. When they are 
dissected, the only difficulty apparent is that the auricles of the 
heart are greatly enlarged and filled with clotted blood. They 
have access to running water, so they get plenty of grit. 
Ans. —The trouble may come from several causes. 
If they are without sufficient shade, the hot sun will 
cause it, as will also overfeeding, cold spring water in 
very young ducks, or lack of grit. D. A. says that 
they have access to running water, therefore have 
plenty of grit. This is a mistake, and many people 
fail in the poultry business from this cause. The grit 
found in running water is generally nearly useless 
for the purpose intended, as the action of the water, 
in time, smooths the corners and makes it simply 
smooth pebbles. The best grit is that which has the 
hardest and sharpest corners. All poultry should have 
grit kept where they can reach it at all times, even 
though they have free range, as where large numbers 
are kept, or even where only a few are kept, they will, 
in time, use all the desirable grit and will relish any 
kind of sharp grit. They will even eat broken glass ; 
although I prefer crushed stone, I would rather give 
them broken glass than to depend on their finding 
enough on any range. ,r. e. stevenson. 
Meat Killed in Warm Weather. 
8., Chisago City, Minn. —How is pork best treated in order to 
keep well, when a hog is killed in warm weather ? 
Ans. —Unless one has artificial means for cooling 
the carcass promptly after it is dressed, and for keep¬ 
ing it at a temperature not above 50 degrees F.—and 
40 degrees is better—pork is likely to sour before it is 
cured. We used to have a refrigerator 5x6 feet, built 
in the corner of our ice house. By the aid of this, we 
could cool out the dressed carcass of a lamb, a sheep 
or a shote that would dress about 100 pounds. To 
succeed with this, it is better to kill in the cool of the 
evening, or to select a cool day, as it is better to let 
the carcass hang long enough to drip well, and be¬ 
come as dry aud cool as possible .before putting it into 
the refrigerator. Dryness is an important factor. 
The refrigerator must be so constructed as to have 
proper ventilation, and as little sweating as possible. 
When the animal is slaughtered, the work must be 
done in the cleanest manner possible. An expert will 
have the inside of the carcass and the edges of the 
meat more free from blood without the use of water 
than an inexperienced person will by the use of great 
quantities of water. The carcass dries off better 
where water does not come in contact with the cut 
parts of the flesh. The carcass cools better to remove 
the head and split down the back. Instead of doing 
this in a bungling manner with a dull ax, as man 3 r 
will, care is to be taken that the cut is clean and neat. 
We find that a sharp meat saw that makes a clean, 
smooth cut down the middle of the backbone, does the 
work more neatly than an ax or hatchet. If it is a 
lamb or young shote, a very hjjivy sharp knife does 
the work with less mashing of the fiber of the meat. 
Wherever the fiber of meat is bruised or mangled, 
fermentation sets in more readily, and when it once 
begins, its action is rapid and difficult to stop except 
by cooking before souring. 
It is important to have the meat cool out as promptly 
as possible, and not have any part of the thin edges 
freeze, as this breaks the cells, and when thawing 
comes, the juices ooze and quickly ferment. A lamb 
or shote dressed and split down the back, and head 
taken off at sundown, will be cool enough to hang in 
the refrigerator by bedtime. After 24 hours in the 
refrigerator, it can be cut up and packed in salt or 
brine, if to be kept several weeks. If handled in a 
thoroughly cleanly manner, and well cooled out before 
putting into pickle, it will keep in a cool cellar as 
safely as in Winter. 
If one has not a refrigerator to finish the process of 
cooling out the carcass, I know of no safe way, but 
to wait until the nights are cool enough, and then 
dress the lamb or pig in the evening as directed, aud 
let it hang until early morning before cutting up for 
the cook or packing tub. Where one has the ice and 
a refrigerator, there is no trouble in saving a lamb, 
a mutton or a shote, and having choice fresh meat, 
without relying on the city butcher or refrigerator 
car. The secret of it all is clean handling and prompt 
cooling of the carcass, and then keeping in a low, 
uniform temperature, away from flies. l. n. b. 
Butler County, O. 
