498 
July 20 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
will in favorable years amount to $3,000 or $4,000, I 
know of a great many more who are not doing any¬ 
thing like this. In talking with practical men, both 
farmers and business men in Aroostook County this 
last week, the consensus seems to be that to every 
farmer who is receiving $1,200 or more in net cash 
from 200 acres of land, there are 25 who are receiving 
much less. Of course, in this, I am neglecting, as Mr. 
Allerton did, the value of the living which the farm¬ 
ers are so largely getting out of their farms. While 
agriculture is a safe business, and while there is an 
opportunity for the average farmer to make a comfort- 
abie living, and an opportunity for the man who is 
above the average to make more than a good living 
and lay up some money, the farm is not the place, in 
my opinion, in which a man should look for wealth. 
Men who get wealthy in the modern sense are ex¬ 
ceedingly few in any calling, and they are not, to 
my knowledge, found in legitimate practical agricul¬ 
ture. [Prof.] ClIAS. D. WOODS. 
Maine Experiment Station. 
FIVE ACRES ENOUGH! FOR WHOM? 
A short time since we printed a note from a reader 
who argued that five acres of land is ample space on 
which to support an average family. There are few 
five-acre tracts about our own farm that would pro¬ 
vide all that the average American family deems 
necessary for life and comfort. The pictures shown 
at Pigs. 210 and 211 show how foreigners attempt to 
make a living on a small lot of land. These build¬ 
ings were to be found in Bergen Co., N. J., within 10 
miles of New York. The great Hackensack marsh 
extends for miies inland. On the upper part of this 
marsh, where the hills rise abruptly to the higher 
land there are little settlements of foreigners—chiefly 
Italians and Poles. These people seem to be more 
or less immune to malaria or mosquitoes—at least 
they live in this damp, swampy region and are able 
to work hard. The hut shown in our picture was 
built by an Italian—the other building contained part 
of his corn crop, a pig, a goat, a number of hens and 
various tools. The material was mostly obtained 
from old buildings—the sides of the shed being form¬ 
ed from old steel and tin from a discarded roof. In 
this humble dwelling the man, his wife and several 
children started. To their credit be it said that they 
have since then built a substantial house with high 
brick walls, while the old dwelling house now shel¬ 
ters a cow and a small horse. 
This sour and soggy soil formed a most uninviting 
spot out of which to try to dig a living. We do not 
know a single American farmer who would have at¬ 
tempted it. Some of them might have gone West, 
away from old friends and associations, and tried the 
swamp rather than the poorhouse, but we do not 
know of one who would have gone down from the 
higher ground in New Jersey to work after the man¬ 
ner of this Italian. Probably few Americans with 
several generations behind them on this side of the 
water could have done what these European peasants 
had long been accustomed to do. Rain or shine, early 
and late, through bleaching sun or soaking fog man 
and woman were at work. They were true beasts of 
burden. They used no horse tools at first, but 
chopped up the tough sod with heavy hoes, such as 
the negro laborers at the South use in the cotton. 
They ditched and dug and planted and hoed until 
they conquered their little piece of ground and made 
it produce wonderful crops of onions, cabbage and 
celery, which they carried on their backs to market, 
carrying back, if need be, any form of filth that would 
add fertility to the soil. They bought stale rye bread 
by the barrel. This, with coffee, onions and other 
vegetables provided most of their food. A glass of 
beer on Sunday and visits with friends provided their 
recreation. That is the way in which the soil was 
saved and the home was made. It was pioneer life 
in New Jersey. Perhaps some of our readers who, 
years ago, went out into the western wilderness could 
match this record of dull, weary toil, with stories of 
their own lives in sod house or log cabin. We doubt, 
however, whether the children of either the western 
pioneer or the foreign drudge can ever be induced to 
do as their parents have done. In other words, 
while this Italian family has prospered on a very 
small area, it is not likely that the children, when 
they come to face the serious problems of life, will 
be satisfied to remain within the narrow limits of 
the little farm. This might have been possible in 
France, Italy or parts of Germany, but the very 
things which lead our people to glorify the superior 
intelligence and ambition of Americans will prevent 
the foreigner’s son from being satisfied with that 
form of a living! 
The best horse forage we can plant now Is fodder 
corn. The flint varieties will give an Immense yield be¬ 
fore frost. When cut or shredded such fodder Is as 
good as hay. 
CHEMICALS, CLOVER, COWS AND LIME. 
Some Methods and Results Analyzed. 
Part III. 
CORN.—This is one of the most important crops 
in Mr. Lewis’s rotation. In making the statement of 
farm sales on page 450, a mistake was made in the 
item of “cows, $251.76.” This should have been corn, 
and the amount given indicates the cash sales of this 
grain after feeding what the stock required, and the 
stalks. The sales of wheat were $282.57. The sales 
of corn from a much smaller acreage were only $30 
less, and besides this the cxirnfield grained the stock 
and filled the silo. This gives a good idea of the com¬ 
parative values of corn and wheat in such farming. 
In former years the wheat made a better comparative 
showing, because less attention was given to utiliz¬ 
ing the cornstalks. As has been stated, all the farm 
manure is spread on the two-ycar-old sod for corn. 
The ground is handled in the usual way—the corn 
being planted in hills. The corn for the silo is 
grown in the regular cornfield—the only difference 
being that on the part intended for grain two or three 
good stalks are left in the hill, while five stalks are 
left in the silo crop. Some farmers say that they 
want their silo corn grown just like that intended 
for grain, as they want plenty of ears in the silo. 
Others reason that the silo is the place for stalk — 
that it pays better to raise more stalk on a smaller 
area, and buy bran, cotton-seed meal or linseed to 
feed with it. Within the last few years Mr. Lewis 
has practiced sowing Crimson clover in the corn at 
the last cultivation. In the seasons when it makes 
a good start this clover provides good Fall pasture 
for the cows, and in’any event, makes a better fitting 
for the potato crop—which follows the corn. 
WHEAT.—It would not be possible to follow this 
rotation exactly as far north as central New York. 
In that section potatoes are planted late, and late 
varieties are used, so that they could not be dug and 
APPLYING PARI.S-GREEN ON POTATOES. Fig. 212. 
the land cleared in time for wheat seeding. Early 
or medium varieties are grown at Cranbury, so that 
they may be all dug and shipped usually before Sep¬ 
tember. As a rule, potatoes in this section are not 
stored, but the general practice is to sell directly 
from the field as fast as they are dug. One season 
with another this probably pays better than to try to 
hold the crop for a higher price. Thus the ground is 
quickly and readily fitted for wheat. It cannot be 
said that wheat is a very profitable crop. The wheat 
field returned $282.57 and the straw, while about the 
same sized field in potatoes gave $829.54, and about 
twice the area in grass gave $831.81. Yet these farm¬ 
ers continue wheat as a part of their rotation. They 
say that they need the straw, they prefer to seed to 
grass in the grain, and after all there is less chance 
of failure and loss where the risk is divided among 
four crops rather than three. I have met farmers in 
south Jersey who have dropped the wheat out of this 
rotation, and grow potatoes, grass and corn—seeding 
to grass alone. They claim to make a saving by this 
change. They depend more on clover and usually 
have some outside crop, like asparagus or tomatoes. 
GRASS.—After all this is the backbone of farming 
—chemical or stock. Mr. Lewis has good grass—some 
fields averaging three tons per acre of well-cured hay. 
'Since he began to use lime the prospects are good for 
better clover. I think the clover will respond quicker 
to lime than either Timothy or wheat. Since the 
herd of cows was increased some changes in farming 
have become necessary. For example, part of each 
potato field is given to oats and peas. While this 
crop is maturing, grass is cut for green feeding right 
out of the clover field, and thrown over the fence 
into the barnyard for the cows. As I have stated, 
the silo has so Increased the feeding value and avail¬ 
ability of the cornstalk crop that little if any hay is 
required for the cows. It Is nearly all sold. This 
practice is opposed to what many farmers call the 
first principles of agriculture, for they hold that stock 
food should never be sold from the farm, but con¬ 
sumed at home, and the manure put on the ground. 
This is sound doctrine in many cases, but not in all. 
Where a farmer can sell a ton of hay, so that he can 
buy all the fertility it contains in bags and have a 
profit left over, it often pays to do so. I will not say 
always, because practical people know that there is 
no cast-iron rule in farming. Mr. I.#ewis believes that 
it pays to sell the hay and use part of the money to 
buy fertilizer for use on the potatoes. It would not 
pay to sell the stalks, for they would not bring money 
enough to purchase the fertility which they contain. 
We like to discuss this system of farming and rota¬ 
tion because there are no special crops like truck or 
fruit. It is plain farming—the production of staple 
crops in an orderly and scientific manner. It seems 
easy, but let no man deceive himself into thinking 
that brains and skill of a high order are unnecessary 
to conduct such a farm. n. w. c. 
THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS 
We are often asked to print a list of the American 
experiment stations. We therefore reprint-from an 
official bulletin a map showing where the stations 
are located and a list of addresses: 
Alabama, Auburn, Uniontown. Arizona, Tucson. 
Arkansas, Fayetteville. California, Berkeley. Colo¬ 
rado, Fort Collins. Connecticut, New Haven; Storrs. 
Delaware, Newark. Florida, Lake City. Georgia, 
Experiment. Idaho, Moscow. Illinois, Urbana. In¬ 
diana, Lafayette. Iowa, Ames, Kansas, Manhattan. 
Kentucky, Lexington. Louisiana, Audubon Park; 
New Orleans; Baton Rouge; Calhoun. Maine, Orono. 
Maryland, College Park. Massachusetts, Amherst. 
Michigan, Agricultural College. Minnesota, St. An¬ 
thony Park. Mississippi, Agricultural College. Mis¬ 
souri, Columbia. Montana, Bozeman. Nebraska, Lin¬ 
coln. Nevada, Reno. New Hampshire, Durham. 
New Jersey, New Brunswick. New Mexico, Mesilla 
Park. New York, Geneva; Ithaca. North Carolina, 
Raleigh. North Dakota, Fargo. Ohio, Wooster. Ok¬ 
lahoma, Stillwater. Oregon, Corvallis. Pennsylvania, 
State College. Rhode Island, Kingston. South Caro¬ 
lina, Clemson College. South Dakota, Brookings. 
Tennessee, Knoxville. Texas, College Station. Utah, 
Tx)gan. Vermont, Burlington. Virginia, Blacksburg. 
Washington, Pullman. West Virginia, Morgantown. 
Wisconsin, Madison. Wyoming, Laramie. 
It will be seen that several States have more than 
one station. There are in all nearly 700 persons em¬ 
ployed at these stations and at least four bulletins are 
issued during the year from each one. Most of tnem 
issue a dozen or more. The work done by the station 
workers is quite varied—much of it being devoted to 
the investigation of local problems. For example, 
the stations in Ohio, Maine or Wyoming will be most 
likely to study the peculiar problems which affect the 
farmers of those particular States. As a rule, it is 
po.ssible for anyone to obtain bulletins. As wc shall 
not be able to repeat this list soon we advise inter¬ 
ested readers to keep a copy of it. 
HORSk SHOE FARM NOTES. 
SEEDING WITH BUCKWHEAT.—Buckwheat is, 
on good ground, a rank grower, and shades the 
ground so completely that grass and weeds have but 
little chance to make any growth. It is called a good 
crop to clean land with on this account. The grass 
seed has to be sown out of season, too late for Spring 
rains and too early for the natural time in which 
Timothy usually sheds its seed. Where considerable 
care is taken to prepare the soil the seed is covered 
with a smoothing harrow, and the surface firmed 
with a roller, the grass seed will germinate well; but 
if it survives the dry weather and dense shade of the 
buckwheat it will be very small and tender when 
Winter comes. By Spring many of the plants will 
be killed and thrown out by the frost. It is the ex¬ 
ception, and not the rule, to obtain good results from 
seeding with buckwheat in this section. The chances 
are much greater if the buckwheat is sown very thin, 
but this reduces the yield and leaves no profit. Not 
more than one-third to one-half bushel per acre 
should be used. Use a grain drill, sowing with only 
half the teeth, making the rows 14 inches apart. On 
rich land which will force a good growth of the grass 
after the buckwheat is drawn off, and where there 
will be little danger of heaving out by frost in the 
Spring, there is a fair chance of success. On poor 
land, dry hard clay or land hastily prepared, the fail¬ 
ure is quite sure. The yield of buckwheat will. If not 
ruined by frost, be disappointing if the sowing is 
delayed much longer. The early sown of late years 
has given much the best yield. 
“NATURE'S” CARE.—The notice in The R. N.-Y. 
to “Stop planting and care for what you have in the 
ground,” applies to late-sown buckwheat, except 
when Nature wishes to upset our theories. Mr. Col¬ 
lins, page 457, thinks “Nature plants only twice the 
thickness of the seed. If deep the plumule is slen¬ 
der and weak.” Nature, it seems to me, is very slack 
in her planting, and has no rule. Not one seed in a 
hundred, planted by Nature, grows. She blows a lit¬ 
tle dust over them, they drop into a deep crack, water 
carries them into deep mud, and here and there one 
escapes destruction. I do not know where he got the 
rule given, and think it is man’s, not Nature’s. Any¬ 
way, it will not hold good for all seeds. Potatoes 
planted deep, four times their diameter, will show a 
thicker, stronger stalk, and give a larger yield, than 
shallow planted. Bulletin No. 191, Cornell, just out, 
gives many results on the question of deep vs. shal¬ 
low planting, which should interest potato growers. 
The results obtained by Mr. Stone’s efforts are very 
instructive, and from long acquaintance with him I 
know they are actual results to be depended upon, 
not fixed up, as is sometimes done, to make a big 
showing. Send for it and study it. Beet seed sown 
by this rule would under very favorable circum¬ 
stances germinate, but for best results should be an 
inch deep, and if very dry deeper yet. 
C. E. CHAPMAN. 
