1904. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
895 
Hope Farm Notes 
I have a bunch of questions on hand that 
are pointed enough to stick in anywhere. 
Some of them are intended for genera! discus¬ 
sion, otherwise I would not print a personal 
opinion about them. Here is one that never 
downs: 
Ginseng and IIorse Chestnuts.—A read¬ 
er in New York wants me to print the fol¬ 
lowing statement which he says will greatly 
help the ginseng business : 
“A boom in the ginseng industry may he 
expected soon. Tests at. Ann Arbor Univer¬ 
sity tend to show that the Chinese root is a 
powerful drug. A new and powerful drug 
will always find a market, whether its quali¬ 
ties be beneficial or otherwise.” 
I print the statement, hut having done so 
it is my duty to go on and say that there is 
nothing in it. No one has discovered any 
powerful drug in ginseng, because there is 
none in it. The statement is a mere “fake” 
—not worth the cost of the ink required to 
print it. The U. S. Dispensatory is a stand¬ 
ard publication on drugs. This is what it 
says about ginseng: 
“The extraordinary medical virtues for¬ 
merly ascribed to ginseng had no other exist¬ 
ence than in the imagination of the Chinese. 
It is little more than a demulcent, and in this 
country is not employed as a medicine. Some 
persons, however, are in the habit of chew¬ 
ing it, having acquired a relish for its taste, 
and it is chiefly to supply the wants of these 
that it is kept in the shops.” 
The more intelligent growers now admit 
this, and frankly say that the ginseng root 
has little more medicinal value than a lump 
of sugar or a piece of bread. They are sim¬ 
ply trying to do business on the superstitions 
of the Chinese. To show what a slim fabric 
this is I may add that the Chinese refuse to 
pay big prices for the cultivated plant, think¬ 
ing it inferior to the wild. 
Another reader asks if horse chestnut has 
any medicinal value. I suppose we have all 
been told that if we would carry a horse 
chestnut in our pocket we would never have 
rheumatism! Most of us have laughed at 
such a “foolish superstition." Now, the fact 
is that horse chestnuts are used in a limited 
way as medicine. They are actually used in 
treating rheumatism, and they contain a prin¬ 
ciple known as esculin, which is used in 
some kinds of fevers. The hark is also used 
in a small way for cloth dyeing. There is 
a small market for dried horse chestnuts at 
five cents a pound, and for the bark at 3 Ms 
cents. As a matter of fact, the horse chest¬ 
nut contains more real value pound for pound 
than ginseng. It somehow got a reputation 
for helping rheumatism, and proceeded to 
make good under the chemist's test. Ginseng 
obtained a reputation for prolonging life 
and doing all sorts of wonderful things, yet 
it has never been able to “produce the goods,” 
since it never had any. And yet this bluf¬ 
fer goes into the market and demands $7 and 
more per pound, while our honest and homely 
friend, horse chestnut, commands five cents ! 
It is simply the old story that I have seen 
acted in human life 100 times. Some well- 
dressed windbag will get honors and dollars 
while a quiet, unassuming man of real worth 
must plod for years for mere recognition. A 
high silk hat full of air on a head which con¬ 
tains but little that is more solid will seem 
to some people more worthy than a cloth cap 
on a headful of quiet brains. I have seen 
such things happen again and again, hut I 
am not discouraged. I have seen Truth stand 
up with a stout whip to scourge the bluffer 
and give the humble plodder his share at last. 
There were not quite so many people fooled 
this year as there were last! 
Suiting Soil to Crop. —The following note 
from western Massachusetts starts a big 
question : 
“I notice a farmer in Vermont and others 
in Maine raise over 300 bushels of good pota¬ 
toes to the acre. I would like a rotation of 
potatoes, clover and hay, but though I have 
read The R. N.-Y. carefully for 10 years 
and tried different methods recommended, 
using many times as high as a t«n to the acre 
of high-grade fertilizer, I cannot get over 
200 bushels per acre, and not often that. Is 
the soil (clay loam) unsuited for that crop? 
A good judge said I had over three tons 
first crop of good hay on that same land this 
year.” 
On our old farm the soil ran from sand 
to a light sandy loam. We could plow under 
cow peas or Crimson clover, use 1,200 pounds 
of fertilizer per acre, and get a good crop of 
potatoes. We rarely got a heavy crop of 
grass, and apple trees were not at their best 
in such soil. When we came to the new farm 
we found much stronger soil, moist and com¬ 
pact. It wonm yield twice as much hay as 
the soil on the other farm, and the apple 
trees are much better. Yet try as we will, we 
have never been able to equal the yields of 
potatoes which were grown on the lighter 
soil. I have been on farms where a five-year 
rotation was followed. Such farms are di¬ 
vided into five fields, and the potato crop fol¬ 
lows from one to another. The yield even on 
the same farm varies greatly. Some fields 
are sure to give heavier potato crops than 
others, while the fields that are worst for 
potatoes are often best for hay. Whenever 
I hear of a big yield of potatoes I feel sure 
that it was grown under ideal conditions— 
in nine cases out of 10 not on soil which 
during the same season would have given a 
very large crop of hay. The growing habits 
and requirements of a grass crop are very 
different from those of potatoes. I do not 
believe that we can simply pour manure or 
fertilizer into any soil and raise a great crop 
of potatoes. The soil itself must he natu¬ 
rally fit or made so by drainage and culture. 
This thing of studying our fields, learning 
what they will do best and then suiting them 
with crops, is the foundation of successful 
farming. Suppose a man had a streak of 
light soil running through his heavier clay. 
To put apple trees on the sand and peach on 
the sticky soil would he as had as to compel 
Billy, the natural farmer, to study law at 
a fashionable college, and force .Tack, the 
heaven-horn doctor, to stay on the farm and 
do chores for his board. 
Loss by Teaching. —Here is a matter that 
is important just now. 
“Can you tell us if there is much or any 
loss in the fertility of the land by leaching 
in the Winter when the land is left bare? 
It seems to us that to cause any loss of fer¬ 
tility to the soil through evaporation or 
leaching the season would have to be a very 
open one.” V. s. s. 
In the North there is little loss by leach¬ 
ing through the Winter. This loss is much 
greater at the South, when the ground is left 
bare. The greatest loss occurs during the 
Fall months, after August. At that time the 
soil is well supplied with soluble nitrogen. 
Much of the manures and fertilizers which 
we use on our crops contains nitrogen in 
organic form; that is, a form produced by 
growth, such as grass, bone or flesh. Before 
plants can use this nitrogen the organic mat¬ 
ter must decay. This decay requires heat 
and moisture, and it often happens that the 
soil is not in just the right condition to 
break up the organic matter until August. 
Thus at. that time the soil is well filled with 
soluble nitrogen, though ordinary crops have 
about finished their growth. There is always 
a movement of water through the soil. Of 
course this is greatest when the rain falls on 
the surface and soaks through. Whatever 
will dissolve in the water goes along with it, 
and thus if the ground is bare, with no crops 
growing on it, we lose a fair share, of the 
value of our manure. If we have rye or 
Crimson clover or grass or some other “cold¬ 
blooded” crop growing on that soil we save 
much of this waste, because these crops will 
save the nitrogen and hold it. 
To feed other crops? 
Yes, often these crops have in their turn 
decayed so as to make the nitrogen soluble. 
You will see how nature goes through this 
performance with nitrogen over and over. 
It is put under lock and key in these organic 
compounds. What we call decay sets it free 
and it will run away either in water or as 
a gas unless there is some plant or chemical 
right on hand to arrest it or make it work. 
When the soil is frozen there is little of this 
loss by leaching. During a soft, muddy Win¬ 
ter there would be more or less of it on bare 
ground. I always try to have the soil cov¬ 
ered with some living crop. To make a 
human application, a person should have 
some living purpose or ambition in mind all 
the time, that no good thought or bit of help¬ 
ful knowledge may be lost, or leached away. 
Truly, a man with only bare ground in his 
mind is in what Shakespeare calls “the Win¬ 
ter of our discontent.” 
Farm Notes. —We have hauled our Win¬ 
ter's supply of coal before the storms come. 
A “ton” of coal iu dry weather goes 15 per 
cent further than a ton of wet stuff. You 
pay for a lot of water in wet time. It 
pays to get the fuel dry in ample time. . . . 
Before starting for Florida the children are 
helping me prune some of the younger trees. 
Our pruning is mostly cutting out the in¬ 
growing branches, so as to leave an open top 
with no crossing limbs. We do not cut back 
the young wood as many do. We take a tree 
and study it, the children telling what limbs 
they would cut out and why. I let them do 
some of the cutting. I find this a good way 
to get the work done, and a good way to in¬ 
terest the children in fruit growing. We 
take a microscope with us and hunt for all 
kinds of insects. I consider it a great, help 
to have the children recognize the San JosG 
scale and understand its habits. . . . 
With us the actual cost of fence wire is about 
GO per cent of the cost of the completed 
fence. The remainder includes freight, posts 
and labor of putting up. Now if a fence 
rust so in five years that it will not hold 
stock, as I have known it to do, it becomes 
a fearful tax on a farm to keep fences up. 
Everything but the posts must he paid for 
again. Fence manufacturers talk as though 
they never heard of this side of the subject 
when they try to sell fence. For some years 
now wire has been largely used, but unless 
some one can guarantee a superior quality the 
demand will surely fall off. . . . We 
have sold all hut three of the pigs, and these 
will go before a weeTc. Pig feeding has paid 
this year. It has left a good surplus over 
the original cost of the pigs and the grain 
they consumed. I say nothing of the manure 
they have left and the helpful work they did 
in the orchard. It will pay many of our 
eastern farmers to get acquainted with the 
pig. Get him out of the pen and give him 
a chance. Suppose a man grows crops in a 
short rotation in which he lias clover. Let 
him fence in the clover field and drive in 
four good shotes to the acre. Give them a 
little corn, plenty of fresh water and all the 
wood ashes they want, and then let them 
alone. There will he no haying, no worry¬ 
ing about wet weather, no feeding out hay. 
The pigs will do all that. They will get 
the feeding value out of that clover and leave 
the field in great shape for any crop that is 
to follow. It will pay some farmers to 
shorten their rotation, using clover ahead of 
corn or potatoes, and letting pigs harvest the 
clover. The fact is, few eastern farmers 
realize what Billy Berkshire or Charlie Ches¬ 
ter will do for them if they will only give 
these gentlemen a chance. When a good 
friend comes along and tries to root ’ the 
door off so as to get in and help I believe in 
giving him a chance. H. w. c. 
RUNNING WATER US 
The Niagara Hydraulic Bam 
is a complete success where the 
windmill is impossible; thegas- 
oline engine impracticable. If 
you have a running stream 
within a mile, we will under¬ 
take to put water where you 
want it. 
In use by U. 8. Government. 
Our catalogue is free, and tells 
you how to do it. 
Niagara Hydraulic Engine Co., P. 0. Box 78, Chester, Pa, 
WHEN YOU DRIVE 
Do your hands get cold ? 
Let us keep them warm. A 
pairof our elegant RUSSIAN 
Si E A K V U K DRIVING 
GLOVES will do it. Fire¬ 
proof. Ironclad palm, soft and 
pliable. Hand lined with first 
quality wool fleece, and cuff 
with best corturi.y. Will wear 
for years. For warmth, 
wear and durability 
this GLOVE has no 
equal. Also made in 
mittensKV one-fingered. 
8end us the wholesale 
price, SUJ, and we will 
send you a pair post¬ 
paid. If you are not 
pleased, return them, 
and we will refund the 
money and postage. 
RUSSIAN FUR CO. 
Gloversville, N. Y. 
4MACHINESINj$|fl .25CRCC 
2-TOOL GRINDER f Machine! Ilkk 
-CARBORUNDUM 
■/GRINDING 
WHEELS 
We want names of respon¬ 
sible mechanics and farmers, 
possible customers for this 
tool and sickle grinder. To 
get these quickly and to ad¬ 
vertise the machine, we will 
give ONE FREE in each 
locality, for a few hours work. 
Practical, money making tool. 
Grinds 20 times faster and 
easier than a grind stone, 8 
times faster than emery; W 111 
Not Draw Tempers 60,(Ml 
now in use. Write for full 
particulars, using a postal. 
LUTHER BROS. CO. 
107C»rverAr. North Jtil»aukee,'Vh 
R„ed Ckief 
Corn Sheller 
(Patented.) 
Guaranteed to do better work than any 
other hand sheller made. Closed hop¬ 
per. Can’t pinch fingers, adjusts itself 
to any size ear. 
Gets All The Corn 
Shells every grain without 
cracking any of them; always 
throws cob outside the vessel. 
Clamps to barrel or keg same 
as straight edge box. An 
easy runner and lasts indefi- 
—- | nitely. We furnish all re- 
VuiFF^ pairs free. Circularsentfree. 
. '—-i Send for special farmers’offer. 
CORN -- BRINLY-HARDY CO. 
, HEL 1 u 253MainSt. Louisville, Ky. 
Lei Us Send You v S'- 
Our Book. 
abont good wheels and good wagons that will save 
you a lot of work and make you a lot of money—the 
ELECTRIC STEEL WHEELS 
-and the- 
ELECTRIC HANDY WAGON. 
Don’t Wait—Buy Now. 
50 Styles Cutters 
and sleighs to choose from. We will lit you out 
so you can go in style and comfort. A complete 
line of cutters, sleighs, speeders, top cutters, 
double seated sleighs, bobsleds and bobs 
Direct from Our Factory. 
Hickory gears, broadcloth, whipcord' and plush 
trimmings, hutnone ot the price trimmings of 
dealers, jobbers and middlemen. We sell from our 
factory and save you a third. The only cutter 
mauufaeturerssellingdirectto users. Write for 
our complete Sleigh Catalog and beautiful souvo- 
nlr edition of “Snow Bound.” Sent Free. 
Kalamazoo Carriage & Harness Co.. 
329 Ransom St., Kalamazoo, Mich. _ 
FREE TRIAL CUTTER OFFER 
For the Most Lib¬ 
eral Cutter Offer 
ever heard of, our 
Free Trial Proposi¬ 
tion, our Pay After 
Recei ed Terms of 
Shipment, a new 
astonishingly low 
price co n d 11 lo n, 
such that makes it 
possible for any 
one to have one of 
the handsomest 
Portland cutters built, cut this ad out and mall to us 
today, and you will receive our Big Cutter Offer by re- 
Address, SEARS, ROEBUCK & C0., CH iit“ ; 
[RCHARD PROFIT 
O dopendsupon working al 1 the 
fruit into a salable 
cider for instance. Ir clear and 
pureit sells readily at a profit. 
The best is produced by a 
HYDRAULIC G,D P E R R ESS 
Made in varying sizes, hand 
power. Catalogue free. 
HYDRAULIC PRESS MFC. 
38 Cortlandt St., Now 
By every test, they are the best. More than one and 
a quarter millions sold. Spokes united to the 
hub. Can’t work loose. A set of our wheels will 
make your old wagon new. Catalogue free. 
ELECTRIC WHEEL CO., Box 88, Quincy. Ills, 
DeliOACH 
Avoid imitators and infringers and buy the Genuine 
Catalog Free of Saw Mills, 4 H. P. and up. Shingle 
kPlaning, Lath and Oo.u Mills; four Stroke Hay 
.Presses, Water Wheels. We pay freight 
k DeLoach Mill IWCfjf. Co., Box 1002, Atlanta, Ga 
AW MILL 
THE WORLD'S CHAMPION 
DAIRY BUTTER MAKER 
Mrs. L. M. HOLMES, of Owatonna, Minn., 
secured THE HIGHEST SCORE on Dairy Butter in the 
1st, 2d and the 4th butter scoring contests held at 
the World’s Fair, St. Louis, Mo., thereby winning the 
World’s Championship. 
Mrs. J. H. McRostie, of the same place, secured the 
SWEEPSTAKES at the 3d scoring, in same contests. 
Proof enough that the U. S. makes the best butter 
BECAUSE EACH ONE 
USES - 
M 
"V 
■ Ik 
The U.S. CREAM SEPARATOR 
The most simple, durable and thorough 
machine for any dairyman who wants to 
produce the best butter at the least cost. 
THE VERMONT FARM MACHINE CO. 
BELLOWS FALLS, VT. 
Send for Handsome Booklet in Colors Illustrating “ The U. S. Way." 
384 
