1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
99 
feeding and cutting. I think that it saves, at least, 
one-third by cutting the stalks, besides no trouble¬ 
some butts are left to get into the manure, j. G. M. 
Delaware County, N. Y. 
WHAT THEY SAY. 
A Defect of the King Apple Tree. 
Having read the articles in The R. N.-Y. of late 
about the number of varieties of the King apple, I 
call to mind a trouble which I find quite prevalent in 
Columbia County, N. Y. Nearly 75 per cent of the 
King trees from four to eight inches in diameter, 
would have a wound as though the apple borer 
had attacked them, while I could scarcely find a tree 
of other sorts in the same orchard affected in this 
way. I do not wish to convey the idea that the borer 
caused this trouble, for upon close examination, I am 
inclined to think not, as these wounds seem like a 
blighted spot. I could find no “inroads” such as the 
borer makes in the body. These wounds increase in 
size, both in length and width, until they become so 
large that the tree cannot sustain its own weight, 
and over it goes. If it is the work of the borer, then 
there must be something especially attractive about 
the “ collar” of the King apple tree. If it is not the 
work of the borer, then there certainly is a weakness 
of union between this variety and the natural stock. 
None of these trees was root-grafted. I would sug¬ 
gest that King be grafted or budded in the heads of 
hard-wooded kinds such as Wagener, Rhode Island 
Greening or the Newtown Pippin (the yellow is 
better as it is more hardy than the green). I always 
dreaded pruning these varieties in my father’s nur¬ 
sery, because the wood was so hard. I shall be very 
pleased to hear from interested parties as to their ex¬ 
perience or observation. frank p. studlky. 
Dutchess County, N. Y. 
Corn, Oats, Barley and Peas Thrashed Together. 
After filling the silo, I had about seven acres of 
cultivated corn that was very well eared, which was 
cut and set in shock in the field. I thrashed the last 
days of October. The corn was well dried in the 
shock. I had about six acres of oats, the same of 
barley, and one acre of heavy growth of peas, the 
vines partly green when cut. They were well cured 
when put into the barn. I talked with different 
thrashers who seemed to have their doubts about 
thrashing the four different grains together. When 
ready, one thrasher said that he would try it, leaving 
the concave the same as when thrashing buckwheat. 
I asked the neighbors to help me thrash. One neigh¬ 
bor said that he would agree to get all the corn from 
the field on a wheelbarrow we could run through a 
thrashing machine. He soon said that he had no use 
for the wheelbarrow. We thrashed alternately, five 
or six bundles of oats or barley, then a shock of corn, 
then some peas, kept it going and got nearly 600 
bushels of corn, oats, barley and peas nicely separated 
from the straw and corn stalks. The corn stalks and 
ears of corn were literally knocked and torn to pieces. 
The corn cobs came through the machine in pieces 
from 1 to 1)4 inch long, and went into the mow with 
straw and stalks. I believe that there is not a peck 
of corn on the cob in the mow. The oats and barley 
were perfectly thrashed with the buckwheat concave. 
The dry oat and barley straw and chaff absorbed the 
moisture from the corn stalks and cobs, and the cattle 
eat the straw, stalks, cobs, peavines, with a relish, be¬ 
tween the feedings of ensilage. 
The advantage in handling corn in this way is no 
small item, in fact a large advantage. The corn lod- 
der is secure where there can be no possible waste, 
with the least expense. The husking and shelling 
are a mere item in comparison with doing it by hand. 
The grain we did not bin. We exposed the whole 
mass to the air, and shoveled or moved the whole 
body once a day for a few days. It soon was free 
from dampness from the corn, so that there was no in¬ 
dication of heating and souring, then it was put into 
bins, and was ready for grinding. Thanks to The R. 
N.-Y. for giving us the idea. Having tried the experi¬ 
ment, I believe that our neighbors, without an excep¬ 
tion, pronounce the thrashing a perfect success. 
Ellicottsville, N. Y. o. h. s. 
Six Good Butter Cows. 
Up to October 1, 1890, my cows had been natives 
with more or less Short-horn blood. Not being satis¬ 
fied with the amount of butter obtained, and finding 
that the milk from some of the cows was very defic¬ 
ient in butter fat, we (meaning my partner and 
myself), concluded to make beef of some and have a 
change. On October 1, 1890, we bought a two-year- 
old Jersey, nearly full blood, and her calf, then seven 
months old, for which we paid $50. We have used a 
full-blood Jersey sire, and now have three of her 
descendants in our dairy. Two years ago, we bought 
another Jersey cow, making five Jerseys. We have 
one cow that is a native by a Short-horn sire, making 
six in all. Our cows were all dry for a few weeks 
last winter; the first came in March 19 ; the last, 
April 19. We have used milk and cream from the 
dairy, but have made no account of it. The amount 
of butter made is as follows : 
March, 1896. 
Pounds. 
.... 51 
September, 1896. 
Pounds. 
,. 230 
April. 1896. 
.... 214% 
October, 1896.. 
.. 218*4 
May, 1896. 
.... 323% 
November, 1896. 
. 137)4 
June, 1896. 
.... 343 % 
December, 1896. 
. 115 
July, 1896. 
.... 247% 
Up to January 7, 1897. 
,. 15% 
August, 1896. 
Total. 
.... 243 
.2,140 
Amount sold ... 
.2,026 
Now on hand... 
. 15 
Amount used in the family 
. 99 
We fed in the spring, early-cut hay and six pounds 
of provender, about half corn and half oats by weight, 
and one peck of potatoes, per cow. From May 20 until 
July 1, they were on pasture and had two pounds of 
grain, and through July, four pounds of grain. The 
remainder of the season up to January 1, 1897, they 
had pasture, sowed corn, cabbage, apples, beets, and 
about three pounds of grain a day each. Through 
summer and fall some bran was fed with the corn 
meal, but corn meal formed a part of the grain ration 
all the while. We have fed about two-thirds of the 
skim-milk back to the cows. A stream of water runs 
through the pasture, from which they drink, summer 
and winter. Five of the cows are now dry and the 
sixth one will not be fresh until May, if at all, so we 
shall continue to milk her a while longer. We set 
the milk in seven-quart pans, in cellar in summer, 
care being taken to skim at the right time as near as 
possible. We churn in a %-barrel revolving churn. 
The butter is washed in two waters and receives one 
ounce of salt to a pound of butter, thoroughly worked 
in with a ladle. We let it stand 12 hours, then work 
on a butter-worker, pack in tubs or jars, and sell most 
of it to private customers. w. c. L. 
Homer, N. Y. 
The Farmers’ Club. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name and address of 
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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.1 
AILING ANIMALS. 
ANSWERS BY DR. F. L . KIL BORNE. 
Ground Food in Pig's Lungs. 
J. B. M., Grantsville, Md. —Wbat can be done to relieve a pig 
that has ground feed or shorts drawn into its breathing appar¬ 
atus, apparently, and seems choked ? I lost a good young sow 
last fall in such a manner. I fed the pigs wheat middlings and 
poured milk on top; the young sow ate greedily, but suddenly 
ran away from the trough, as though choked. She repeated 
those actions every, or nearly every, time the pigs were fed, for 
nearly a week; then she became so weak that she could scarcely 
rise, when we shot her. Her lungs had red patches as though 
inflamed. Towards the last, she was subject to spells, when she 
would act precisely as though being beaten on the nose with a 
whip. 
Very little, if anything, could have been done to 
relieve such a case. If any quantity of the ground 
feed were drawn into the lungs, it would result in 
broncho pneumonia, and, probably, death. It is 
quite as likely, however, that the choking was due to 
some throat or lung trouble, instead of being the 
cause. 
Too Much Grain for a Heifer. 
\V. R., Mohawk, N. Y. —I have a purebred Jersey heifer which will 
be two years old in May, at which time I expect her to calve. At 
present, she is in very good order. She is fed hay twice a day 
(about a forkful each time), and two quarts of bran and one 
of middlings, with a little salt twice a day in warm water. A 
friend tells me that I will have trouble with her udder when she 
calves, and advises taking all the grain from her. 
Being a heifer, there is not the danger that there 
would be in the case of a cow, and especially a heavy 
milker. It is very rarely that a heifer’s udder cakes 
at calving from overstocking. However, it is not de¬ 
sirable to have the heifer too fat when she comes 
fresh. You are, evidently, feeding more grain than 
the heifer requires for her present need. One-half 
the ration should be sufficient until after she calves. 
Then it can be gradually increased to three or even 
to four quarts as soon as the udder milks down. In 
the case of cows, unless in poor condition, it is a good 
practice to take away nearly or quite all the grain 
for a month before calving. This serves the double 
purpose of avoiding the danger of garget from over¬ 
stocking, and gives the cow’s system a needed rest. 
Skin Eruption On a Horse 
I. M. S., ShimerviUe, Pa.— 1. What is the matter with my 
horse? He rubs his mane and, on examination, I find hard 
pimples on his neck that bite him very much. Wbat remedy 
shall I apply ? 2. Which is better for fattening steers, to salt 
them sparingly, or to give them all the salt they will eat? 
1. Give the horse, at one dose, either in ball or drench, 
one ounce each of best aloes and ginger. Follow 
by a bran-mash diet until the bowels are freely 
purged. Then give two tablespoonfuls of the follow¬ 
ing powders in the feed twice daily: Sulphate of 
soda, one pound ; powdered gentian, one-half pound ; 
nitrate of potash and powdered nux vomica, of each 
four ounces ; mix. Should the bowels become too 
loose while feeding the powders, reduce the dose 
one-half. If you are feeding a heavy grain ration, 
with little exercise, reduce the grain if the condition 
of the animal will warrant it. Corn or other heating 
feeds should be sparingly fed. Wheat bran could 
form, at least, one-third the grain ration to advan¬ 
tage. Oil meal will, also, be excellent. If the itch¬ 
ing is severe, bathe occasionally with a solution of 
one-half ounce carbonate of soda dissolved in one 
quart of soft water. 2. Feed the steers what salt 
they will eat, either as rock salt in large lumps 
placed where the cattle can lick it at will, or as com¬ 
mon coarse salt in a covered box or trough under a 
shed or other shelter. It would, also, be well for the 
horse if he could have a small box of salt constantly 
within reach. 
What Ails the Calves ? 
J. If. S., Uazenovia, iV. Y. —For the past two years, I have lost 
nearly all of my best calves that I wished to raise, from scours. 
The most of them died when about 48 hours old. Some of them I 
didn’t let suck the cow at all, but that didn’t make any difference. 
I have tried laudanum and scalded milk with nutmeg iu it. I 
gave them eggs, but it did no good. The cows are all right to all 
appearance, and are in good, fair condition. I feed them on corn 
stalks, cut oat straw and hay, each once a day, with one quart of 
oat and corn meal a day, equal parts in weight. The cows are 
grade Guernseys. 
The fact that the calves die so soon after birth indi¬ 
cates that there is some fault in the feeding or man¬ 
agement of the dams. The calves are, evidently, weak, 
and not well nourished at birth. If you can improve 
the condition of the cows, you will, probably, lessen, 
if not entirely remove, the trouble. Your grain ration 
is very light, especially if the rough fodder is not of 
first quality. I would advise adding one or two 
quarts of wheat bran to the ration, and then feed 
twice daily instead of only once. A little oil meal 
added to the ration would, also, be excellent. This 
moderate ration could be safely fed to within a week 
or 10 days of calving, when it might be well to omit 
it until the udder milks down after calving. Then it 
should be resumed. Both the corn fodder and the 
drinking water should be examined to make sure that 
they are good and wholesome. If there be any doubt 
as to either, make a change, if possible. 
What Treatment for Strawberry Rust ? 
F. G. P., Oswego, N. Y. —During the latter part of last Septem¬ 
ber and ouward, much rust was noticed upon many spriug-set 
beds of strawberries in this vicinity. In some cases, the vines 
were completely brown and the leaves so dry that they could be 
rubbed to dust. This is something unusual here, and we would 
like the experience of those familiar with the actions and results 
of rust appearing at this time. 1. Will it affect their wintering 
well? 2. Will its effect be noticed upon the yield or quality of 
fruit? 3. What results have been obtained by spraying with 
Bordeaux Mixture or Fungiroid ? 
ANSWERED BY M. Y. SLINGERLAND. 
The fungous disease known as “ leaf-blight” or 
“strawberry rust” is very prevalent in many parts of 
New York State. It usually first makes its appear¬ 
ance on the new leaves about the time the fruit sets, 
sometimes earlier. If it is allowed to go on unchecked, 
it is at its worst during the hot weather prevailing 
just after the crop is gathered. If continuous cloudy 
and rainy weather in May and June, causing a rank 
growth of leaves, is succeeded by hot, dry weather in 
July and August, the strawberry suffers a great 
check ; and if it has also been exhausted by a large 
crop, it is, in this state of weakened vitality, usually 
attacked with great severity by the fungus. Thus 
the disease is liable to attack the plants at any time 
aftergrowth begins in the spring, and unless checked, 
it will continue its destructive work until the frosts 
of autumn stop further growth. When a spot first 
appears on a young leaf in J une, it is usually of a red¬ 
dish color. The fungus develops rapidly, and when 
fully mature, the spots have a nearly circular white 
center, and this is surrounded by a red or purple 
border. These spots often join, when the leaf is 
badly diseased, so as to form a single large, discolored 
area. The fungus passes the winter by means of 
spores or seeds and by its mycelium or roots con¬ 
tained in the.old leaves in the fall. 
A wet, undrained soil greatly favors the growth of 
the fungus. However, a season either prevailingly 
dry or with abundant moisture throughout, is quite 
unfavorable to its development. When the disease 
was studied here at the experiment station in 1888, 
there was an enormous amount of the fungus in many 
strawberry fields, and, therefore, an abundant supply 
in the fall of the “roots” and “seeds”, both of which 
developed vigorously in the old leaves in the spring 
of 1889. But the new leaves remained conspicuously 
free from the disease during that year. This was 
due to the fact that there was au abundant rainfall, 
no drought, and a comparatively even temperature, 
all of which favored the normal growth of the foliage. 
As a consequence, the fungus failed to obtain as 
strong a foothold as usual. Anything promoting 
health in the strawberry plant and normal conditions 
about it, is pretty sure to fortify it against its enemy. 
1 and 2. It may be said that, unless the disease was 
