1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
5 
“ Milk Fever" In a Cow. 
A. F. W., Latah , Wash. —What was the matter with my cows, 
and how can I prevent or cure the trouble ? One year ago in 
July, one of my Ayrshires became fresh. She calved at noon, 
the afterbirth had spots on about the size of a half dollar like 
ulcers. She appeared all right that day. The next morning, she 
could get up no farther than on her knees with her front parts. 
By eight o’clock, she could not get on her feet at all. Her eyes 
looked glazed, and by night she was dead. This year, a daughter 
of hers went through nearly the same course, the difference being 
that the afterbirth looked like raw beef; she was longer getting 
down, and lived longer after she was down. A daughter of the 
last one had a calf a few weeks after her mother died. The 
afterbirth was just the same as her mother’s had been, but she 
did not get sick at all. 
Ans. —Both cows died of parturient apoplexy, com¬ 
monly called “ milk fever.” See page 778 of The R. 
N.-Y. of November 21 for treatment and prevention. 
The precaution should have been taken in these, as 
in all susceptible cases (i. e., heavy milkers at the 
third or fourth to the seventh calving), to reduce or 
restrict the feed for two or three weeks before calv¬ 
ing, and to give a dose of salts just before or after 
calving. There was, probably, nothing abnormal 
about the afterbirth in either case. F. l. kilborne. 
Bloody Milk ; Lame Mule. 
JV. •/., Cuba, Mo. —1. I have a Jersey cow that gives bloody milk 
out of one teat. What is the cause and the remedy ? 2. My mule 
is stifled or sprained in the hind hip joint. Can anything be 
done to relieve or cure it ? 
Ans. —1. The bloody milk is due to a bruise or other 
injury to that quarter of the udder. After each milk¬ 
ing, bathe for 20 minutes with water as hot as the 
hand can bear ; then rub with camphorated spirit. 2. 
If you are quite certain of the location of the seat of 
lameness, rub well over the joint with ammonia lini¬ 
ment (strong aqua ammonia and sweet oil, equal 
parts well shaken together). Repeat the application 
every third day until the skin is well blistered. If 
not certain as to the seat of tenderness, write again, 
giving the position of that limb while standing, and 
any peculiarity in movement. Also state whether 
the lameness is aggravated or lessened by exercise. 
F. L. K. 
Use for a Hydraulic Ram. 
It. IK., Conton, N. U .—I have a spring 25 feet below the level of 
the house, and 75 yards distant—can I use a hydraulic ram at the 
spring, and force the water to the house ? What will a ram cost 
to run plenty of water for a large family ? Will a ram do good 
work in running the water and not have to be continually re 
paired ? Can any common workman set up the ram ? 
Ans. —If the spring afford sufficient water, the in¬ 
quirer certainly can force sufficient water to the 
house, even with one of the smaller sizes, for a large 
family, and, for that matter, for several families. 
The distance and elevation mentioned are small mat¬ 
ters for a hydraulic ram, and, if the fall below the 
spring and the quantity of water are sufficient, he 
may bless his stars if he forthwith starts a good 
hydraulic ram to work. Once started, the attention 
needed is next to nothing, and, if he do the work right 
in the first place, the expense for repairs need not 
exceed five cents per year. Any man with a good 
pipe wrench can do the work in a short time. The 
list price of the smallest size I would recommend is 
$15. The cost of pipe is extra. For the ram alluded 
to, he will need one-inch pipe for feed pipe, and 
three-eighth inch pipe for delivery. Why don’t more 
of the manufacturers of hydraulic rams advertise in 
The R. N.-Y. the fact that they have such a boon to 
mankind for sale ? The R. N.-Y. reaches the farm¬ 
ers. The farmers have the springs and small streams. 
The springs and streams are necessary for the opera¬ 
tion of hydraulic rams. The conclusion ought to be 
apparent to the manufacturers. J. c. sengeb. 
Making the Tub Silo. 
F. E. II., Bucyrus, Kan.—I have been much interested in the 
notes on tub silos. It seems to me that they may be most avail, 
able for small farmers. Might they not be made of 2 x 6 scant¬ 
ling without bevel or groove, and the cracks outside after the 
hoops are drawn up, calked with rags dipped in coal tar ? If 
coated inside and out with the tar, would it not prevent shrink¬ 
ing or swelling ? Is hot tar better as a paint than tar thinned 
with gasoline ? 
ANSWERED BY I>. A. CLINTON. 
The tub silo is becoming more popular every day. 
I have examined several, and they all seem to be doing 
excellent work. The farmers who are using the tub 
silos are, in every case, so far as I can learn, well 
pleased with them. They can be built at half the ex¬ 
pense of the square or rectangular silo, and they com¬ 
mend themselves in every way to the small farmer 
and dairyman. They can be constructed of 2 x 6 scant¬ 
ling, but they should be beveled, not ■ grooved or 
tongued. The reason for beveling is this : If put up 
otherwise, they come in contact only at the interior 
edge. Should there be a knothole, or an irregularity 
in the scantling, or should it by shrinking become 
slightly warped there, it would be almost impossible 
to make it air-tight. Have the scantling beveled at 
the mill. Tell the sawyer what sized silo you pur¬ 
pose to build, and he will bevel them so that they 
will exactly fit. The additional expense will be less 
than that of attempting to stop up the cracks with 
rags. We do not desire to stop all shrinking and 
swelling. When filled, we wish the silo to swell some 
to aid in making tighter joints; and then, when 
empty, we want it to shrink so that moisture cannot 
collect between the staves and rot them out. The 
coating of coal tar on the inside, applied after the 
hoops are drawn up tight, is entirely sufficient. 
Hot tar is very penetrating, and will find its way 
into every crevice, thoroughly excluding the air. 
Whether it will last longer, or be more effective than 
when thinned with gasoline, I cannot state. There 
can now be purchased in the market, tar paint ready 
for application. In our experience with this, the 
man who was painting the interior was twice over- 
TUB SILO UNDER A SHED. Flo. 5. 
come by the noxious gases, and was compelled to 
leave the silo. Gas tar may be purchased very cheaply, 
and when heated slightly, makes a very efficient 
paint. Trinidad asphalt may be purchased for about 
$3 a barrel. This, if used alone, is so brittle upon 
becoming hard, that it soon cracks and is worthless. 
Mixed in the proportion of nine parts Trinidad 
asphalt to one part of gas tar, and heated, it makes a 
valuable application for roofs, stable floors or silos. 
Fig. 5 shows a tub silo with shed covering. 
Storing Celery for Winter. 
Several Readers .—How is celery stored on those great farms at 
“ Celery ville,” page 797 ? 
Ans. —We do not advise keeping celery for winter 
use other than by means of cold storage, but it is done 
here by some of our growers by placing it in trenches. 
This is the method in use in Kalamazoo, and while it 
has the advantage of prolonging our season, it will 
not, in the course of two or three years, be practicable, 
as the California, Utah and Florida stock will be more 
plentiful, and ours, though well blanched, sweet and 
tender, will not be able to compete with it in fancy 
markets on account of its size and ragged tops. The 
celery, when placed in the trenches, has to live on 
something, and having lost most of its roots, it is not 
able to draw its food from the ground. The heart, 
therefore, grows at the expense of the outside stalks 
and, instead of the head becoming larger, it grows 
smaller. 
The celery for the trenches is cut from the row 
after having been banked for about a week. It is 
quite green, and the heart growth has just fairly com¬ 
menced. It is taken up with a spade, allowing three 
or four inches of the tap root to remain on it. The 
trenches are, in reality, not dug into the ground, but 
are built on top of it. To do this, blanching boards 
have stakes nailed on to the sides, and are by means 
of these made to stand up, about 10 inches apart. The 
ground should be dry and level. When these boards 
are in place, the celery, after having the outside dead 
stalks removed, is stood up between these boards, 
being packed fairly tight, care being taken not to 
bend the stalks. When two or three board lengths 
have thus been filled, the earth is drawn up against 
the boards and packed there. See Fig. 6. Should 
the celery be taller than the boards, they are pried 
up with a shovel until their tops are even with those 
of the celery, and more earth is drawn up. When 
this has been firmly packed, the boards are removed. 
If the weather is not too cold, they are allowed to re¬ 
main this way until it becomes colder, and then the 
earth is pressed further over the tops until there is 
finally left an opening not more than three or four 
inches wide. This is sometimes covered over with a 
blanching board at night and opened in the day time, 
thus saving the tops to a certain extent. Frost may 
be removed by sprinkling dry muck over the tops. 
See the lower part of Fig. 6. 
The length of time that it will keep this way de¬ 
pends upon the weather, how well blanched it is 
when put in, and the variety. Continuous cold 
weather is the most favorable, for it does not allow it 
to grow very rapidly, and the tops rot less. In this 
latitude, it is put in from October 1 to 15. Our main 
variety for winter and fall use is Perfection Heart- 
well. In warm weather, holes are made in the sides 
of the trenches near the bottom to allow the air to 
circulate through the celery. This is the best method 
that we know of, although I can say, from personal 
experience, that it is not economical if a fair or even 
a low price can be had for it directly from the field. 
FREI). S. JOHNSON. 
Cheap “ Water Works" for Farm Houses. 
./. W. N., Stowe, Vt.— Please tell us more about Fig. 257 , page 
785 , the plau of bringing water into the farm house. Give us full 
instructions and explain the working of the system. What ought 
it to cost ? What would a plumber charge for putting it in ? 
Could a farmer who is handy with tools put it in himself? 
Ans. —Fig. 257 showed how farmers remote from city 
water works may have the convenience of a constant 
water supply in their houses. Many people who live 
in cities find it cheaper and better to have such an 
arrangement as the one illustrated, rather than to 
depend upon a city pumping station. A force pump 
capable of doing the work may be purchased for from 
$(> to $12 ; the double-action pumps come somewhat 
higher. Whatever pump is used should be a strong, 
well-made one capable of doing the work. The pipe 
which runs from the cistern to the pump should be 
inch, that from pump to tank, one inch, and from 
the tank down, a three-quarter-inch pipe will an¬ 
swer the purpose. 
Unless the farmer has had some experience in 
plumbing work, it would hardly be practicable for 
him to attempt the work. If the material be all at 
hand, the cost of putting in the pipes would be incon¬ 
siderable. The best way to put in the whole system 
is this : Make the measurements and draw a plan of 
what you want done. Then go to some reliable 
plumbers and get them to make a bid on the cost of fur¬ 
nishing the material and doing the work. The larger 
part of the expense will be for material, which will 
vary in price according to quality. For from $100 to 
$200 the pump may be purchased, a lead tank put in 
the attic, a bath tub and closet and wash bowl put in 
place, a boiler and sink put in the kitchen, and all 
plumbing work well done. If the system is to be sup¬ 
plied with soft water, then a copper boiler should be 
used in connection with the range. If hard water, 
then the tank should be of galvanized iron l. a. c. 
A Talk About Some Hew Fruits. 
S. K. W., Stanfordville, N. Y. —Wbat are the merits of the fol¬ 
lowing fruits: Lincoln and Spaulding plums; Vermont Beauty 
and Lincoln Coreless pears; North Star, Red Cross, President 
Wilder, White Imperial and Franco-German currants; Crunells 
and Dakota Tree currant: Columbian raspberry, Salmonberry 
and Dwarf Juneberry ? 
Ans. —The Lincoln plum has not yet fruited at the 
Rural Grounds, though the tree was planted some 
five years ago. It is supposed to be a seedling of the 
Green Gage, and even better in quality. It is of very 
large size, many measuring six inches around. It is a 
reddish-purple in color, with bloom ; flesh yellowish, 
parting freely from the stone. It ripens about the 
middle of August. It is said to be curculio-proof. 
The fruit of the Spaulding, it is also claimed, is cur¬ 
culio-proof. The fruit is greenish, of large size and 
the flesh is yellow and sweet. It is a freestone. Ver¬ 
mont Beauty, in our opinion, is an improved Seckel, 
which is saying a great deal, excelling it somewhat 
in size and beauty. It ripens a little later. The 
Lincoln Coreless, it is said, will keep until March in 
ordinary cellars. The fruit has no seeds and but 
little core. The flesh is yellowish, aromatic and juicy. 
The claim is made that it is the handsomest, largest 
and latest of winter pears. Thus far, we see nothing 
remarkable in the North Star currant. It has fruited 
one season at the Rural Grounds, and we fail to see 
that it is superior in any way to the Red Dutch. The 
same may be said of Red Cross. President Wilder 
has not yet fruited with us. White Imperial, is, 
piobably, the same as the White Grape. We know 
nothing of the Franco-German currants or of the 
tree currants mentioned. Any currant may be made 
to form a little tree by cutting off the lower branches 
or by grafting it on Missouri stock. The Columbian 
raspberry is an improved Shaffer, improved in that 
the bush is hardier and the berries cling more firmly 
to the stem. The Salmonberry would not be hardy 
with you. The berries are insipid. The Dwarf June¬ 
berry bears an abundance of whortleberry-like fruit 
of inferior quality. 
