34 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
January 16 
the ground being covered in some places. Did you 
ever count the leaf stems on a single root of Crimson 
clover? 1 did the other day, and found 187, or three 
leaves to a stem, making 561 leaves in four months 5 
time. Will it pay for seed in fertilizer ? Many times, 
whether it all survive the spring frosts or not. In 
an adjoining field, during the past spring, it survived 
on the driest places. 
We filled two tub silos from 5% acres of corn ; had 
four men packing, refilled once, and have used one- 
half the contents of the first silo for 20 cows in 46 
days, which is equal to 10 cows three months, or a 
total of 10 cows one year on 5% acres. We may con¬ 
tinue raising corn on this same field a few years ; at 
least, I think that we can improve on this year’s crop. 
Each of these shocks contained 25 hills, or less than a 
square rod. This corn was put into the silos Septem¬ 
ber 19, 20 and 21, having been in shock about one week. 
Erie County, N. Y. 
POTATO BLIGHT IS CONTAGIOUS . 
PROOF TO SUPPORT THE STATEMENT. 
On page 835, E. T., New Berlin, N. Y., wrote of the 
strange antics of his Carman potatoes. He says that 
they were grown by the side of other varieties that 
blighted two years in succession. That, in my opinion, 
is sufficient reason for their behaving as they did. 
That blight is transmitted from one variety to another 
in the field, I firmly believe ; my belief is based on 
observations taken the past two years. In the last of 
April, 1894, I planted for the first time the Orphan 
potato. Notwithstanding the early planting, the vines 
remained green until killed by frost. 
Although every other variety of some 
10 or 12 was scorched and dead by 
the intense heat and drought of that 
season, not a sign of blight appeared. 
In 1895, they were planted by the 
side of a variety that blighted very 
early and badly. In a few days after 
the blight had finished its work, 
the row of Orphans alongside was 
all dead. The second row did not 
blight quite so badly, the third still 
less ; the blight gradually diminished 
until the seventh or eighth row, when 
no more of it was seen, the rest re¬ 
maining green until frost came. The 
planting was done with the Robbins 
potato planter. The stand was per¬ 
fect, and one hill seemed to be just 
as good as the next. Except the 
few rows blighted, the rest of the 
field looked like a field of clover, the 
vines were such a deep green, and 
covered the ground so perfectly. So 
marked in contrast were the rows at 
the edge, that it at once attracted the 
attention of others who saw the field. 
I was then convinced that the blight 
had spread from the others, but had 
no one to keep me company, and 
little did I think that it would appear in the next 
crop through the seed. The potatoes were dug and 
put into the cellar all together; during the winter, 
the seed stock was handled over, which thoroughly 
mixed the tubers. 
Now for the Proof. —Having sold my Robbins 
planter, I ordered a Davenport planter, as that saves 
one operation, that of cutting the seed. This machine 
opens the furrow, distributes the fertilizer, if any be 
used (fortunately I have no use for any), cuts its own 
potatoes, making four pieces of each, always cutting 
from end to end so that every piece is certain to have 
an eye. These pieces fall into separate hoppers, and 
are dropped automatically before another is cut, the 
machine covering as it goes, doing all at one opera¬ 
tion. Each potato makes four hills in succession, 
and this gives a chance to see whether one potato is 
better than another for seed. Some varieties show a 
great difference, others not so much, but so far as I 
was able to judge, in all varieties some. The differ¬ 
ence always appeared in fours, showing that each 
piece from the same potato gave about the same 
results. 
Blight came the last of July, turning whole fields 
from green to brown in a few days. The very early 
planted were far enough advanced so that the yield 
was not much reduced, and those that were dug and 
stored did not rot very much. But late planted, and 
those left in the ground in many fields, were nearly 
a failure, either from rot or a small yield. I had 10 
varieties under cultivation, mostly new and leading 
sorts. I tried to save the Carman No. 3 by the use of 
fungiroid, but they went with the rest. The con¬ 
tinuous rain made it necessary to go over the field 
nearly every day, which may have had something to 
do with not getting better results. The only variety 
resisting to any degree again was the Orphan, some 
of which remained green until frosted. All through 
this variety, while the majority were yet green, could 
be found four hills in a place with the tops entirely 
dead ; these occurred in about the same proportion 
that the blighted rows held to the rest of the field the 
previous year, proving to my mind, that the blight 
transmitted to the tops the previous year was carried 
over to the tubers. To make sure that it was not in 
the soil, or due to some local cause, I visited two of 
my neighbors’ fields that planted from the same seed, 
one using my planter, the other cutting and planting 
by hand. In the machine-planted field, the results 
were the same, although five miles distant from my 
place ; in the field planted by hand, only single hills 
were found in a place, but just as marked. 
To satisfy myself what effect the blight had upon 
the yield of tubers, I dug 20 hills of those that did 
not blight, and got 70 pounds, a yield of over 600 
bushels per acre. From the same number of blighted 
hills, the yield was 20 pounds, or about 180 bushels 
per acre, very few of which were merchantable. The 
above yields are approximated. I have the product 
of the 40 hills kept separate, and expect to continue 
the experiment another year, both as to yields and 
blight. If any reader of The R. N.-Y. has any Car¬ 
man No. 3 that did not blight the past season, I would 
like to correspond with him, as I wish to get a few 
tubers to plant to make the test by the side of those 
that I have that blighted. I believe that a vast field 
is open here for selection and improvement. 
Chautauqua County, N. Y. l. d. gale. 
R. N.-Y.—Blight is the cause of more loss to potato 
growers than many of them imagine. If any varieties 
are less subject to blight than others, growers should 
know it. Can improvement be secured in a variety 
by the selection of tubers which did not blight ? 
WHAT THEY SAY. 
“ The Maeket Price.”—I like Fred Grundy, and 
eagerly read all that is written over his name ; but I 
must draw the line when he ceases to be fair. I don’t 
like the light in which he “shows up,” or rather 
leaves the farmer under “ Cash, Credit, and Debts,” 
page 847. When the groceryman asked him “ What’s 
a fellow to do with such men,” he replied, “ Lay on 
your profit, Macduff.” Such advice is useless, as such 
men never forget to lay it on heavily, never less than 
25, and often nearer 100 per cent, and at the same 
time, when the farmer wants barely cost for his 
produce, he is reminded of the market price, which, 
for nearly everything grown by the farmers, has for 
three years, been below cost. It’s a bad rule that 
won’t work both ways, and I will venture the as¬ 
sertion that that same farmer would willingly have 
paid every dollar he owed had the merchant offered 
him 25 per cent profit on his corn. Give the devil his 
due, Mr. Grundy, and tell your merchant friends to 
“ do as they would be done by.” They demand a good 
average profit on everything they sell, let them give 
the farmer the same average profit, and there will be 
no such ground for complaint, for farmers, almost to 
a man, want to pay their just debts. R. p. mcanally. 
North Carolina. 
That Basement Barn. —In reading L. A. Clinton’s 
answer to E. A. P., page 849, as to a plan for a barn 
basement, I would suggest a change from the diagram. 
The wall need not be more than two feet above the 
surface of the ground, and should have an under¬ 
drain sufficient to receive and carry off all water. The 
outside boards should be battened and covered on 
the inside with building paper, and upon this should 
be put seasoned inch boards with joints broken. The 
distance from the sill to the floor above should be 
seven feet, with plenty of windows, which should 
slide to secure proper ventilation at all times. 
To secure a floor that will be as permanent as the 
walls upon which the sills rest, is the next important 
consideration. There are several important objections 
to a plank floor in a basement, and to overcome them, 
discard all timber and plank for floor. Lay out a 
driveway first in the center, seven feet wide, and 
curb it with stone three inches thick and 16 to 18 
inches across, each sufficiently strong on edge to with¬ 
stand any loaded wagon. Leave the stones three 
inches above the surface, if the ditch and platform 
are to be grouted, and six inches if they are to be 
paved. On the cattle side, there remains 1 foot 11 
inches for slant and ditch. Another curb, similar to 
the first, is placed here to form the outer edge of the 
platform ; five feet from the outer edge of this curb, 
should be placed a wall one foot wide and two inches 
above the finished surface of the platform. Upon 
this wall should be placed a two-inch plank to form 
the bottom of the manger. After the platform is fin¬ 
ished, stanchions should rest on the platform outside 
of the plank. The manger should slant into the hall. 
One silo 16 x 11 feet, can be built in the center of 
the cattle side, with a 1%-foot hall on each side, 
leaving 57 feet for stanchions, or room for 19 cows. 
Partitions in cattle stalls are expensive, require con¬ 
siderable room, and are of no utility whatever. 
Upon the horse side, I would suggest that a parti¬ 
tion should be built 11 feet from 
the outside wall, with four-inch sills, 
with rolling door for each stall. 
Shutes and mangers are to be made 
at the side of the door. The stalls are 
paved or grouted, and partitioned 
11x6 feet to the wall, making com¬ 
fortable box stalls, which are far 
more convenient and safe and com¬ 
fortable than open stalls. There will 
be room enough for all the stalls 
needed, and a harness room and one 
good-sized sheep pen. r. w. b. 
Bradford County, Pa. 
“ The Hunting Season” has ar¬ 
rived. Cart-loads of hunters with 
their dogs leave the towns and vil¬ 
lages in the early morning for a day’s 
hunt in the country. There is some 
of good and much of evil in this 
hunting season. The good is that a 
day in the open air, breathing the 
crisp, life-giving air of early winter, 
taking strengthening exercise, re¬ 
lieved from business cares and wor¬ 
ries, is a good thing for the hunter. 
It makes a better man of him, physi¬ 
cally and morally. Now, if he trans¬ 
gresses the laws, either of legisla¬ 
tures or of right or courtesy, tramples 
on the rights of the farmer and land owner, I don’t 
think that he will experience much moral growth. 
Townsmen are all too likely to take unpardonable 
liberties when out in the country, and especially, if 
in a neighborhood where they are not known. No 
man should tramp over fields until he has secured 
permission to do so. No man should allow his dogs 
to go into fields where there are sheep or cattle. 
Then, while I heartily approve of hunting, I do not 
at all approve of finding—that is, I don’t think that 
we ought to allow any quail to be shot, or other birds, 
unless it be wild ducks or hen hawks. Rabbits are a 
nuisance, skunks (which the town hunters seldom 
bother) are worth their weight in gold to the straw¬ 
berry grower, and valuable on any farm. What a 
pity it is after all that the old instinct of killing is 
the only thing that calls men out into the fields any 
more ! Why, there ought to be foot-paths across 
woodlands and beside streams, and men would be 
seen walking daily with no gun in hand, but only 
wide open eyes to see ! I used to think that the 
bicycle would do a great work by taking people into 
the country. I am not now enthusiastic. I think that 
the riders see little save the road and the cyclometer. 
Once when I lived in a new country, I had a deer 
that came each morning down from the hills to graze 
in the meadow. I would watch her pretty play of 
fear and hesitating motions toward retreat, and then 
sudden boldness and assumption of bravery. She had 
a fawn hidden away on the hillside. Many a time I 
could have killed her, but would as soon have killed 
a friend. When hunters spied her out and slew her, 
I was grieved and indignant, and cared not for the 
venison. How many interesting animals and birds 
our farms might shelter were it not for this unfortun¬ 
ate lingering instinct of savagery, the longing to kill. 
Ohio. J. E. WING. 
THE SNOWFLAKE JR. POTATO. Fig. 23. See Ruralisms, Page 38. 
