1901 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
5i5 
FORAGE CROPS IN NEW JERSEY. 
Barn Pasture for Cows. 
Fig. 221 shows a picture of the grass field at the 
New Jersey Experiment Station. This grass was 
seeded alone on September 20, 1900. One object of 
the experiment was to observe the difference between 
manure and chemical fertilizers. An experiment is 
being conducted at the station with two kinds of ma¬ 
nure. One is from a lot of cows which are fed what 
is called a “wide” ration—that is, a ration in which 
there is a large proportion of carbonaceous or fat and 
starch-producing foods. Another lot of cows is fed 
a “narrow” ration—that is, one in which the propor¬ 
tion of muscle-making foods is greater. The manure 
resulting from the feeding of these two rations is kept 
separate and tested side by side. In this grass experi¬ 
ment the “wide ration” manure produced 2.91 tons of 
hay per acre, the narrow ration 2.97 tons, and the 
chemical fertilizers 3.11 tons. The grass was of fine 
quality. This shows what can be done with a modifi¬ 
cation of the “Clark” method of seeding grass. We 
do not understand that the ground was worked as 
thoroughly as Mr. Clark advocates, and less seed was 
used. To those who have tried this method of seed¬ 
ing grass, and failed to obtain heavy yields it must 
be said that the soil at the station is good grass land. 
It has been well cropped and heavily fed for a num¬ 
ber of years. It has been well “trained” for a big 
grass crop. Some of the fields on which the Clark 
plan was tried were not fitted by nature or by cul¬ 
ture for the work. We must remember that great 
results in grass, or in any of the products of grass— 
man included—are possible only when natural condi¬ 
tions are right, or after long culture. 
We have had much to say about some of the green 
forage crops at the New Jersey 'Station. Here is the 
order in which they have been fed this 
year: Rye, yield per acre, 9.60 tons; 
wheat, per acre, 5.23 tons; Alfalfa (first 
cutting) per acre, 11.14 tons; Crimson 
clover, per acre, 7.13 tons; mixed 
grasses, per acre, 8.30 tons; oats and 
peas, per acre, 6.20 tons. This means 
green food cut in the field and hauled 
at once to the barn for feeding. The 
oats and peas were partly dry when cut 
—thus the yield was lighter than usual. 
Since our last report the following crops 
have been planted so as to make a full 
succession. White Hint corn. May 4; 
Evergreen sweet corn. May 16; cow peas 
and Soy beans, June 10; Barnyard mi- 
let, June 19. There will be a succe<3s- 
sioa of green crops right through the 
season, with some of each to be cut and 
cured for hay. 
BLUE VITRIOL CLEANS A DRAIN. 
I have a cider cellar from which led 
an old stone drain which has been in 
use for a number of years. It, however, 
began to run less freely than was neces¬ 
sary, so that last year I decided to put 
in a new tile drain which I thought I 
would fiush out and keep clean, as during cider mak¬ 
ing time there is considerable thick settlings of 
pomace from the bottoms of the casks to be got rid 
of. I accordingly put in a three-inch porous tile and 
ran it in a new ditch most of the way. It worked all 
right all the Fall and Winter, although the fall was 
very slight where it left the cellar. This Spring we 
had lots of rain, and a good deal of water ran in the 
ditch over the tile, and when it began to clog back 
and fill the cellar I supposed it was due to silt work¬ 
ing in the joints and settling where the current was 
checked, thus clogging the pipe, so I dug up the pipe 
just out from the cellar where I thought the choke 
might be, and much to my surprise I found it com¬ 
pletely filled with a substance somewhat like vinegar 
mother. To clear it I had to take out a length of tile 
every 25 fee't and run in a length of hose, and so 
finally got it clear. In about three weeks, very much 
to my disgust, the cellar began to fill again and I had 
to do something. I thought of copper sulphate, but 
could not see much hopes of using it successfully 
where there was so much water. About this time Mr. 
Huested, a State tree inspector, happened here, and 
he also suggested the blue stone, so being in a great 
hurry I took a handful of the vitriol crystals and put 
them in the end of the tile where it left the cellar, 
and forgot all about it until the following Monday 
(it was put in Saturday), when I happened to notice 
a lot of ropes of stuff in the brook where the drain 
emptied. I then thought of the vitriol and looked at 
the drain, and sure enough it was clear. After a time 
it clogged again, and I put in more vitriol. In a day 
or two Prof. Stewart, of Geneva Experiment Station, 
happened along, and I told him of my experience. He 
was quite ipt^regted, and expressed a wish to see the 
fungus and get a sample, which was easy, as it had 
again discharged about one-half barrel of ropes of|l' 
the growth, which was at that time unknown to the 
Professor, but he afterward told me that it was very 
rare, I believe only two or three instances being noted 
where drains had been clogged by it. He said the 
name of it was 'Septomitus lectens. Now the question 
is, why did not this form in the old stone drain as 
well as in the tile? The other conditions were all 
exactly the same, except that the tile was porous and 
the stones not so much so. The vitriol seems an 
efficient and cheap remedy. I used about one-fourth 
pound of the crystals, which are excellent in any sort 
of drain or waste pipe. ii. ii. n. 
Milton, N. Y. _ 
PRAISE FOR THE STATION BULLETINS. 
Much has been said in the last few years about the 
mystery surrounding the station bulletins, and much 
criticism has been hurled at our station officials. My 
own opinion is, that if the farmers were as near right 
as the bulletins we should not hear so much about 
“farming don’t pay.” I do not think that the bulle¬ 
tins should be made so plain that any farmer could 
read and understand them as readily as he could a 
daily paper; if he could he would forget their con¬ 
tents just as soon. Let him study, search out this 
mystery, as he calls it, and he will be able to carry 
its teachings into his daily work, and receive the 
benefit of what has cost some one perhaps years of 
study. I think the more I see of the New England 
farmer that what he lacks most is adaptability. He 
goes to the institute year after year, and it is very 
seldom that he adopts any of its teachings. He reads 
the bulletins, but he does not profit even by that 
which he docs understand. If he is troubled in his 
field or orchard with insects or fungi, the station bul- 
THE GRASS FIELD AT THE NEW JERSEY EX. STATION. Fig. 321. 
letin points out the remedy, and through the same 
channel he is taught to control, to a large extent, 
climatic and soil conditions. In my Grange work a.s 
lecturer of a large and prosperous Pomona Grange 
and Master of a Subordinate Grange, the bulletins 
which I receive from several stations have been a 
great help to me; I meet with a large number of farm¬ 
ers who have been benefited by the noble work that 
our stations are doing, and I hear but very little com¬ 
plaint about the station work except from new mem¬ 
bers, and those who do not belong to the Grange. Let 
the dissatisfied join a good working Grange, become 
an active working member, read the station bulletins, 
and he will soon become a satisfied, progressive and 
prosperous farmer. Long may the stations live, and 
all hail to the noble work Which they are doing! 
Massachusetts. _ s. r. walker. 
A NEW POTATO HARVESTER. 
For a long time those who produce large quantities 
of potatoes have felt the need of a machine that would 
do away with the hard and slow method of hand 
digging and picking. Fig. 219 shows the Battersby 
potato harvester, an implement which is used to some 
extent in England, and is said to work satisfactorily. 
This machine digs, cleans, sorts and delivers the po¬ 
tatoes into baskets. The separator part works on the 
same principle as the ordinary grain thrasher, so 
that those who use it may properly speak of thrash¬ 
ing their potato crop. There is, apparently, nothing 
to prevent small stones or hard lumps of dirt from 
getting in with the tubers, and the natural conclusion 
is that the machine is intended only for use on soil 
that is free from stones, and not wet or lumpy. It 
ought to work to perfection on the prairie lands of 
the Central West; and, if it should come into general 
use, the probabilities are that the bulk of the pota¬ 
toes could be grown on these smooth lands on a large 
scale, at a figure which could not possibly be met by 
the small grower in the East, who must depend 
largely on hand labor. 
VALUES OF FARM PROPERTY. 
The Back Fields of Connecticut. 
In regard to the two farms that I rent, years ago 
one of them was considered worth $10,000. A:, the 
time of the death of the owner, some 12 years ago, it 
was appraised at $5,500. The other farm, the party 
that I rent them both of, paid $5,500 cash for. He 
offered me this farm, after a good deal of repairing 
that I rent them both of paid $5,500 cash for. He 
them both. They contain about 300 acres. I rent 
them both with teams (five horses) and tools of every 
kind for $30 per month. There are two good houses; 
outbuildings need repairing; good creamery with 
boiler, engine and separator, and everything to make 
first-class butter. I own the stock, average over 50 
head, from 30 to 35 cows, the rest in young cattle of 
my own raising. We are making now about 600 
pounds of butter a month, which I send to Derby, 
Conn., at 22 cents for last month. It will go up now 
every month until I get 28 cents, where it will stand 
for the Winter. I used to print my butter, but now 
send it in tubs, the buyers paying the freight. I have 
to go to the depot but once a week. There are two 
farms adjoining these that I rent, one on tne east and 
one on the south. About 20 years ago one of the farms 
was bought for $5,500, and a new barn was built. A 
year ago last March a young man bought it for $1,000, 
and in 10 months paid all his expenses promptly and 
$400 on the principal. He told me the other day that 
he could pay for it all this year, but he wanted to 
build a silo and repair the house, as he thought he 
could while owing so little. This farm contains 160 
acres. The other farm was bought for $6,500 25 years 
ago—it contains 280 acres. A year ago last April it 
was sold for $1,800, and only $100 paid down. I know 
of three farms that were sold at auction this last 
Spring that did not bring much over 
one-third of their original cost. In 
Warren, a town south of us, property 
has decreased in value more yet. A 
place known all over as a very desirable 
one, and containing 200 acres, was sold 
for $600—a large well-kept house and 
good barns. The reason for all this, I 
suppose, is that, in this back country, 
there is little to attract the young peo¬ 
ple. They all go away to larger places. 
The old people, all very well off, are left 
alone to the mercy of hired help, and, 
when they pass away, the farm is sold 
at just what they are offered. Another 
thing, there used to be a great demand 
for charcoal, and all these old hills have 
been cut over several times. In every 
town from here to the Massachusetts 
line were furnaces for making charcoal 
pig iron, which made a good market for 
all the wood the farmer had, and 
brought a great many in town. This 
business is all gone and the furnaces 
with all their property are idle and go¬ 
ing to decay. This iron company less 
than a year ago closed up the busi¬ 
ness in this district, and sold good 
wood land for 50 cents an acre. In regard to the mar¬ 
kets, selling milk to the New York Cooperative Milk 
& Cream Company is the principal business. Some 
20 years ago milk sold in New York brought from 
$1.20 to $1.40 per can of 40 quarts. Now they get from 
50 cents to $1.15. I think last month it sold for 60 
cents. This company owns creameries at nearly every 
station on the Housatonic road, and great quantities 
of milk are produced, about 200 cans (40 quarts) 
going from this station daily. This is a beautiful 
country, and nowhere is it healthier. The land is 
somewhat rough and rocky, but very strong and cap¬ 
able of producing enormous crops, and we on this 
place are nearly as early as some a good deal farther 
south. Although we had a wet Spring my corn was 
planted May 8, and is now six feet tall on a level. 
Litchfield Co., Conn. 8 . m. 
Vancouver, B. C., merchants have taken a unique 
plan for getting even with the dead beats in that town. 
They got together and made a list of all who did not 
pay their bills. Then they hired a collector who, dressed 
in scarlet uniform, called on these delinquents with de¬ 
mands for payment. It is said that in three months 
most of them had either settled up or left town. 
Fighting Squash Bugs.— While sowing turnip or radish 
seed may or may not be of value in discouraging the 
real Simon Pure squash bug, the practice this year does 
not seem to interfere with the appetite of the firefly. 
The nights so far being too cool for much flying they 
Just “lay low’’ and eat all night. Much of the seed wa.s 
drowned out, and what came up is now being devoured. 
I am trying, with some promise of success, dusting with 
air-slaked lime or plaster, stirring in a peck of lime or 
plaster a tablespoonful of crude carbolic acid, and dust¬ 
ing lightly when the dew is on, and repeating the dose 
if necessary. J- 
