1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
789 
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 
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piece of paper.1 
KEEPING A CROP OF CABBAGE. 
One of our readers in western New York wishes to know how 
best to keep a crop of cabbages during the cold months. He 
says that, last fall, he kept an apple crop in the following man¬ 
ner: He filled a cottage which was vacant, with 1,500 bushels of 
apples, placing some straw on the floor to keep them from freez¬ 
ing from below. Then he put in a small coal stove to keep the 
temperature about 30 to 35 degrees. This succeeded well with 
the apples, which were sold in February with scarcely any frozen 
ones. Now he wishes to know why cabbage would not keep In 
the same place, and asks whether they will decay if kept at 30 
degrees or less. What is the best way you have found for keep¬ 
ing a crop, and what objections, if any, would you have to the 
plan proposed ? 
Avoid Warmth and Dryness. 
The chief dangers to be avoided in wintering cab¬ 
bages are warmth and dryness. Where cabbages are 
kept in a rather cool but dry atmosphere, they will 
wilt and soon become worthless, while, if stored in a 
moist but rather warm room (above 35 degrees), they 
are liable to rot. I should think that this vacant cot¬ 
tage would be a good place for wintering cabbages in 
bulk, even without a stove, if the cabbages be well 
covered with straw during very cold weather. The 
danger will be from too much warmth rather than 
from cold ; in fact, I would try to keep the tempera¬ 
ture below freezing rather than above it. 
Niagara County, N. Y. t. greiner. 
Experience in Cellar and Pit. 
I have no data whereby to give a definite reply to 
this question. The requisites for keeping cabbages 
into winter are a low temperature—at freezing or a 
little below—freedom from outside moisture (rain or 
snow), and some way by which they can be ventilated 
so that no heat can start. The best lot of cabbages I 
ever bought, and the one kept nearest the conditions 
described by your correspondent, were kept in a cellar 
by laying a floor of old rails crossed by loose boards 
placed a few inches apart. About the sides of the 
cellar, scantlings were set up and old boards nailed on 
to keep them from the walls, and to provide circula¬ 
tion of air. Through the center of this bin, a parti¬ 
tion made of 2x4 scantling set upright with boards 
nailed on both sides was run. The size of the whole 
bin was about 15x20 feet. In this bin, the cabbages 
—good green, hard heads—were placed about six feet 
deep. When taken out scarcely one per cent was 
waste. The reason of their good keeping seemed to 
be a sufficient quantity of cabbages to insure a con¬ 
stant supply of moisture from the evaporation from 
the cabbages themselves, which kept them fresh and 
free from wilting, and good ‘ventilation from below 
which carried off any surplus moisture which other¬ 
wise might cause rotting and heat. Perhaps your 
correspondent might arrange his house from studying 
the above statement. The troubles I fear he may 
encounter, may be that his cabbages may dry up, as 
he is above ground rather than down in it, conse¬ 
quently has not the moisture which he would have 
were he in the cellar; also a difficulty in heating, 
particularly next to the outside of the building. 
We pit our own by digging a long pit or pits, in 
sloping, well-drained ground, about five feet wide and 
a foot deep, which, with the soil thrown out on the 
sides, makes the pit nearly or quite two feet deep. In 
this, we place the heads, well trimmed as for market, 
about 2 to 2% feet deep, crowning to the center of 
the pit. Over this, we place straw or, preferably, 
boards lapped like shingles, then a good supply of 
earth, or sometimes, we cut off with tobacco shears 
the cabbage stumps at the ground after the heads 
have been cut out, and cover the straw or boards with 
them, finishing with a little earth, being sure to leave 
plenty of ventilation along the ridge of the pit. We 
have had very good results with this method. 
Oswego County, N. Y, f. g. tice. 
Sage and Ginseng Culture. 
J. E. M. Jr., Hew York.— 1. Is sage grown to any extent, and 
where ? 2. How many pounds can be produced on an acre, and 
what price will it bring ? 3. Where can it be marketed ? 4. Is 
ginseng produced In this country, and where ? 5. What quantity 
can be grown on an acre ? Where can it be sold, and at what 
price per pound ? 
Ans. —1. Ten times as much sage and thyme are 
said to be grown as of any other sweet herbs. Per¬ 
haps 150 acres are cultivated about New York in a 
commercial way. Sage is, also, a favorite in the home 
gardens, especially of Germans, as the roots will last 
for many years in a well-drained, rather dry, cal¬ 
careous position. 2. Forty to sixty thousand bunches 
per acre is the average crop, the price ranging from 
$6 to $10 per 1,000 bunches. When the price is low, 
the product is dried and held for a rise in the market. 
3. There is no sure sale for sage except in a green 
state. The season is from October to December. 
Open crates are used, and layers should not be more 
than eight inches deep. Sage carries well during cool 
weather, and may be 60 hours in transit. 4. There is 
very little ginseng left in our native woods. It is 
cultivated by several specialists, one of whom is Geo. 
Stanton, Summit Station, N. Y., the account of whose 
operations has been published in The R N.-Y. 5. 
Small roots can be set three inches apart The growth 
is very slow. Roots 50 years old often weigh less than 
one ounce. It is impossible to estimate the yield per 
acre. The dry root has sold as high as $4.25 per 
pound in New York. It is claimed that cultivation 
can be made profitable when the root sells for $2 a 
pound, which is the usual price in New York. 
WILHELM MILLER. 
Pears and Plums for Indiana. 
G. W. W-, Tolrinsiiort, Ind.—l have about five acres of new 
ground that slopes southeast, northeast, and north and west. I 
would like to set it to pears and Japan plums. The timber that 
once grew on it was mostly beech, and some oak, chestnut and 
poplar. What varieties of pears and plums should I plant for a 
home market ? 
Ans. —The location described is, perhaps, suitable ; 
at least, it has about all possible slopes as to direc¬ 
tion. Of Japan plums, Burbank, Abundance, Red 
June and Chabot are, perhaps, the best. It might be 
well to plant some of our native kinds, such as Mil- 
ton, Whittaker, Smiley, American Eagle and Stod¬ 
dard. Of pears, the Bartlett is considered by almost 
everyone the leading variety as a standard in point of 
profit. Keiffer and Garber are more productive, but 
too poor in quality for a home market, I fear. Law¬ 
rence is the best very late one in point of quality. 
On dwarf stocks, Angoul^me, Louise Bonne and An¬ 
jou are among the very best. h. e. v. d. 
The Best Plum Stock. 
J. L. II., Grosswicks, N. J .— 1. I wi9h to plant some plum pits 
with the intention of budding to Japan varieties. What variety 
of pits should I plant? Where can I obtain them? If I wanted 
to grow some trees to bud to other varieties, such as Wild Goose, 
Newman, Lombard or Green Gage, should I plant some other 
variety of pits ? Is the proper season for budding plums the same 
as for peaches ? 2. Is the Black Delaware or Nectar grape con¬ 
sidered as good and productive as Moore’s Early ? I noticed, last 
summer, that Tue R. N.-Y., in commenting on varieties of grapes, 
left out the Black Delaware. I have two young vines of this 
variety, and am anxious to learn of its merits or otherwise. 
Ans. —1. The best stock for the Japan and American 
plums is the Marianna. This is a variety of the foreign 
species, Prunus cerasifolia, and does not sprout from 
the roots. The plants for nursery purposes are propa¬ 
gated from rooted cuttings and not from seeds, as a 
general thing. Our native plums, especially the 
Americana, make thrifty stocks, but they sprout so 
badly as to be a great nuisance in the orchard, and 
are, therefore, unsuitable. The Marianna stocks are 
bought very cheaply from the southern nurseries, as 
they root much more easily in the South than in the 
North. 2. The Nectar (Black Delaware) grape is of 
very good flavor, hardy in vine, and worthy as a 
family variety, but does not prove to be very produc¬ 
tive in all sections. Moore’s Early is the most 
profitable. h e. v. d. 
The English Filbert in America. 
J. P., Vineland, H. J.— At what age should the Euglish filbert 
(Kentish Cob) bear ? What kind of fertilizer is required ? Should 
the bushes be pruned? I have a row in my garden five years 
old, seven feet high, but no sign of nuts. 
Ans. —The variety of the European hazel, which is 
often called “ Kentish Cob,” or, more properly, the 
Lambert filbert, has not been grown enough in this 
country to enable one to state definitely when it 
should bear here; but in England, the bushes begin 
to bear at five to six years of age. They should be 
pruned back every year, in order that they may 
become stocky and develop fruit spurs. Rank, vig¬ 
orous shoots are to be prevented if possible. Rather 
low, moist soil, that is well drained, and not too rich, 
is best for the filbert. Fertilizers that are mostly 
composed of potash and phosphoric acid, and little 
or no nitrogen, should be used. Nitrogen would 
stimulate too much wood growth. There is consid¬ 
erable trouble with filberts not pollenizing their pis¬ 
tillate flowers, and it is sometimes necessary to mix 
the varieties, or put branches from wild bushes that 
have male catkins in full development, in the tops of 
the bushes at just the right time. A serious trouble 
in cultivating the filbert in America is a fungous dis¬ 
ease of the leaves. This has almost destroyed some 
small plantations in New Jersey. It would be well 
for J. P. to be on the lookout for it, and seek advice 
from his Experiment Station officials in case of at¬ 
tack. H. E. V. D. 
Cow-Pea Hay for Horses. 
F. C. G., Pridgton, Me.—In the cow-pea articles, I have not 
noticed whether horses will eat the hay. Is it as good for them 
•as for cows? 
Ans. —Our horses prefer corn stalks to the pea vines, 
and we feed the latter to the cows. In Delaware and 
Maryland, the vines are fed to horses, and are said to 
be very satisfactory. To us, they seem much better 
as cattle feed. Veterinarians in Louisiana say that 
moldy pea vines contain a substance that causes 
kidney trouble in horses and mules. 
Cotton-Seed Meal or Stable Manure. 
]V. II. M., Gollingswood, N. J. —1. I can obtain cotton-seed meal 
delivered on the farm at $25 per ton, and good stable manure at 
$1.50 per ton. From an economical standpoint, which would be 
the cheaper source of nitrogen, recognizing in each the cost of 
hauling, application, etc.? 2. I have a plot of ground that has 
recently been underdrained, on which I intend to plant straw¬ 
berries next spring. Would a light application this fall of lime 
be likely to prove injurious to the plants set next April ? 3. I can 
obtain 95-per cent carbonate of lime for $2.50 per ton, delivered at 
my railroad station, fresh quick lime at $6.50 per ton, and what is 
known as “run of kiln’’ at $4 per ton. Which would, in the end, 
prove the cheapest ? 
Ans. —1. At the prices given, the comparison would 
be about as follows, stated in pounds : 
Nitrogen. Potash. Phos. Acid. 
$25 worth of cotton-seed meal... 135 35 30 
$25 worth of manure. . 160 192 80 
With us, it would cost nearly 12 times as much to 
haul, spread and plow under the manure as it would 
to handle the meal. Figuring a fair value for haul¬ 
ing, the cotton-seed meal would give us cheaper 
nitrogen. Last spring, we might have bought the 
manure, as the farm was sadly in need of vegetable 
matter. Now, with the ground covered with rye and 
Crimson clover, we would buy the cotton-seed meal, 
and use it as a base for mixing potash, dissolved rock 
and nitrate of soda. 2. The lime applied this fall 
will not be likely to hurt the strawberries to be 
planted next spring, but we do not see why it should 
be used, particularly if stable manure be applied. 
3. We would feel surer to buy the quick lime and 
slake it at home. 
Cutting Corn Fodder in Virginia. 
T. M., Massie's Mills, Va. —We have cut corn fodder at different 
times, once very late, when the stover seemed as dry as snuff, so 
that the fodder seemed to beat into dust, yet the cut stover would 
mold after a few weeks. At first, it seemed to go through a sweat, 
smell very sweet, and the stock ate it well; but later, it would 
dry through and get that same dry, white mold all through it, so 
the horses did not seem to care much for it, and it seemed to give 
them a cough. How can we make the cut stover keep, for it is 
our main dependence for feed ? How would it do to pack it in a 
close bay in the barn like a silo ? I hear of parties that kusk the 
corn and cut the stover all at once. I know that if we were to put 
it up that early, we would lose it entirely. 
Ans. —Corn stalks, unlike hay, will not keep per¬ 
fectly if stored in large bulk, unless they are almost 
entirely free of either extraneous moisture or sap. 
When cut fine, the liability to damage is greater. 
Here in Virginia, the stalks are generally large, 
averaging more than an inch through, and they take 
a considerable time to dry out. Often, when they are 
apparently dry, there is still enough sap within the 
joints and lower part of the stalks to cause them to 
heat. If the stalks in question did not contain this 
excess of sap, and were free from other moisture at 
the time of cutting them, I cannot understand why 
they should mold. It is my practice every year to cut 
a large quantity of corn stalks at one cutting, and as 
I have no trouble with their spoiling, though piled in 
a mow 10 or more feet deep, it might, perhaps, be 
helpful to T. M. to tell how the stover is handled. 
By comparing methods he may find wherein his 
difficulty lies. 
The corn is cut when the grain has begun to harden 
and while nearly all the leaves are green—usually in 
September. It is set up very soon after it is cut, in 
large shocks, often 10 feet across at the base. One 
might think that such large shocks would mold be¬ 
fore they would dry ; but when set up straight, there 
is seldom a damaged leaf. The stover is much greener 
and more palatable to stock, and really contains more 
nutriment than if put up in the ordinary small, 
rickety shocks, many of which get pretty well down 
before they are hauled to the barn or stack. The 
corn is pulled off, generally in November, and the 
stalks drawn immediately, packed horizontally in the 
barn and sheds convenient to the cutter, and cut at 
any time after. What cannot be got under cover, 
are put into either round or rectangular stacks with 
the tops lapped in the middle. The middle is kept 
high, from start to finish. A cover of long straw 
serves very well to turn rain. If any of the stover is 
damp, it is thrown aside when the stacks are carried 
to the cutter. I cut from one-half to one inch long, 
several tons at a time, and store in a mow, either loose 
or tramped, whichever occasion requires. 
To pack the cut feed in a close bay, as T. M. suggests, 
with the idea of preventing it from molding, would 
not prove a success, that is, if it contained moisture 
enough to cause it to spoil in a loose or open pile, but 
not enough to convert it into ensilage. The air al¬ 
ready within the mass would carry plenty of mold 
spores to produce the mold as soon as the proper con¬ 
ditions of moisture and heat were reached. If the 
stover be cut as drawn from the field, it should be 
done when the ground is dry, otherwise the dampness 
absorbed and held by the butts would cause the 
trouble complained of, no matter how dry the rest of 
the shock appeared to be. a. r. bellwood. 
Virginia. 
