i 89 o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
5 
meadows seeded. Now, it seems to me pos¬ 
sible that our land needs some one element 
of plant food—the one which the decaying 
sea-weed fails to give or gives in the smallest 
amount. Does the Rural think such is the 
case? What element of plant food is least 
abundant in decayed sea-weed ? What are 
the cheapest means of supplying the defi¬ 
ciency should the needed application be 
made ? 
ANSWERED BY PROF. F. H. STORER. 
Although the better kinds of sea-weeds, 
such as this correspondent writes of, are 
regarded by many people as a well-nigh 
complete manure, it is well known that 
this manure is really somewhat one-sided. 
Like stable manure, the sea-weed contains 
all kinds of plant-food, but it does not con¬ 
tain them in the best possible proportions. 
Practically speaking, it may be said that 
potash is a more prominent constituent of 
sea-weed than either nitrogen or phosphor¬ 
ic acid. Hence the need of balancing the 
sea-manure with some other fertilizer 
which shall supply the ingredients that the 
sea-manure lacks. On good light land, that 
is not unduly dry, bone-meal is a capital 
material to be used in conjunction with 
sea-weed ; or, instead of bone-meal, small 
additions of fish-scrap (pogy chum) and 
a good plain superphosphate would be ap- 
propx-iate. If mixtures such as these were 
used upon .the plow-land, and the stable 
manure with occasional dressings of sea¬ 
weed were spread upon the meadows, clean 
and abundant crops could doubtless be 
grown indefinitely ; and in all probability, 
crops as large as those of “ lang syne,” 
provided the fertilizers were applied with a 
generous hand and that the tillage were as 
careful as that of the grandfathers. 
THE RURAL TRENCH SYSTEM, ETC. 
“ Subscriber ,” Argyle, N Y.— What 
is a full description of the R. N.-Y.’s trench 
system of raising potatoes and what tools 
are needed to lessen the labor ? Has the 
system proved much more successful than 
other methods of growing potatoes on large 
areas ? Does the R. N.-Y., recommend this 
system of potato-growing as more profit¬ 
able than any other ? Is Humphrey’s con¬ 
cave knife valuable for cutting seed pota¬ 
toes. What varieties are the most profit¬ 
able for the average farmer ? What is a 
first-rate fertilizer for potatoes ? 
Ans. —We must respectfully refer our in¬ 
quirer to the present or back numbers of 
the R. N.-Y. for a full description of the 
trench system. In field culture shovel 
plows are used for the trenches. Most of 
the leading prize-takers in the late Wom¬ 
en’s National Potato Contest raised their 
crops in this way. A. direct answer as to 
whether it is the best and most economical 
way can not as yet be given. In certain 
soils and seasons it is the best without 
doubt. Time must answer the question 
ior other situations. 
The knife alluded to is not valued by us. 
Potatoes that are best in one section are 
not necessarily best in another. The Early 
Essex, Early Sunrise, Puritan, State of 
Maine, Thorburn, Beauty of Hebron, 
White Star, Pearl of Savoy, Rural Blush, 
Empiro State, White Elephant, Brownell’s 
Winner audR. N.-Y. No. 2 are all varieties 
prized at the Rural Grounds. We recom¬ 
mend any of the high-grade potato fertil¬ 
izers as the best for this crop. 
TROUBLE WITH SHEEP. 
S. E., Lockport, N. Y. —My sheep have 
been up from the pasture for two weeks. I 
have been feeding them second-growth hay, 
a little oat-straw and some oats. They 
have been attacked, one after another, 
with swollen lips, the edges beiug covered 
with a thick, black scab which is hard and 
cracks open. The trouble extends from 
one corner of the mouth to the other, so 
that the animals find it difficult to eat. 
What is the trouble and is there a remedy? 
Ans. —Sufficient information is not given 
to found an opinion upon as to the precise 
nature of the malady affecting the sheep. 
If they cough and swallow with difficulty, 
have dry muscles, red eyes aud fever, it 
may be that the sore lips with these other 
symptoms indicate scarlatina as the source 
of the trouble. If not, the trouble is prob¬ 
ably due to smut in the oats and oat-straw, 
which has this effect when eaten by cattle 
and sheep. If the latter is found to be the 
cause, give no more of the smutty food. A 
cooling laxative, as two ounces of Epsom 
salts, will relieve the sheep of the trouble, 
and the cracked lips should be anointed 
with carbolated vaseline. The oats may 
be steeped in boiling water, which will de¬ 
stroy the smut aud they can be fed when 
cold. 
ABOUT SOME GRAPES. 
G. B. W., Lyndon, Ky.—l. Is Miner’s 
Grape Belinda white or black ? Mine is 
white ; in a late issue of the R. N.-Y., Mr. 
George Campbell says his is black, while 
S. W. Peck said his is white: who is 
right? 2. Would the Green Mountain 
Grape get ripe here any earlier than Moore’s 
Early ? With me it ripens from late July 
to early August. 3. What is a list of 
Ricketts’s seedling grapes ? 
Ans.— 1. Our impression is that Belinda is 
a white grape though we do npt find any¬ 
thing to substantiate this impression. 2. 
It is impossible to give any more than a 
guess. Probably it will ripen at about the 
same time. 3. The Bushberg catalogue 
gives the following list: Adelaide, Ad¬ 
vance, Alma, Ariadne, Bacchus, Don 
Juan, Downing, Dunlap, El Dorado, Em¬ 
pire State, Excelsior, Gazelle, Golden Gem, 
Highland, Imperial, Jefferson, Lady Dun¬ 
lap, Lady Washington, Naomi, Peabody, 
Pizarro, Planet, Putnam, Quassaick, Rari¬ 
tan, Secretary, Waverly, Welcome. 
WEATHER-BOARDING A nOUSE. 
S. W. S., Martindale, Pa. —What is the 
best way to weather-board a house ? 
Ans.—T he old weather-boarding may be 
stripped off and replaced by new, or it may 
be furred outside with one-inch strips 
nailed on perpendicularly and the new 
covering laid on these strips. This 
would save the expense of stripping off the 
old boards, and would also add to the 
warmth of the house, by a second covering 
and an air-space under it. If the old board¬ 
ing is not actually rotten it would be ad¬ 
visable to do this and refit the door and 
window frames if it can be done without 
too much cost, otherwise the old boarding 
must be stripped off. Another way that 
might be found desirable is to lay the new 
boarding directly on the old without any 
furring, fitting the new joints up closely to 
the old ones. 
RASPBERRY DISEA8E. 
J. IF. S., Reesville, Ohio. —1. Does the 
disease that has done so much injury to 
raspberries affect the red or black kinds or 
both ? Is there any preventive or remedy ? 
2. Before plowing a patch for raspberries, 
would there be any advantage in covering 
the ground with corn-cobs ? 
Ans.— 1. This fungus attacks both red and 
black. A dark, blackish discoloration ap¬ 
pears on the new canes as if they had been 
bruised by blows from a mallet or ham¬ 
mer. The discoloration at length extends 
over the entire stem ; the growing fruit 
dries up and the canes die. Burning the 
canes may help. 2. We should look for 
little benefit from the cobs. 
HOW TO DESTROY PLANTAIN. 
E. G. S., Cuba, N. Y. —Is there any way 
of destroying plantain ? 
Ans.—T here are, in short, two ways : one 
by persistent cultivation, the other by dig¬ 
ging the plants up. Portions of the Rural 
Grounds were infested with this pest. We 
exterminated it by pulling the plants up 
during very wet weather, the soil being 
saturated. Our friend will be surprised 
what a large area may be gone over in half 
a day by an industrious worker. Gather 
the leaves in one hand and hold the plants 
as close to the crown as possible. A steady 
pull will generally bring them out with the 
roots intact. Something to pry them out 
is often needed. 
STRAWBERRY RUST. 
S. IF. S., Bcesville, Ohio. —A patch of 
strawberries which I set out last spring 
looked and did well till about the middle 
of summer when the outside leaves began 
to die, and the plants have been dying ever 
since. Now they look as if a fire had swept 
over them. What is the trouble, and what 
should be done ? 
Ans.—W e regret not to be able to give 
our inquirer any specific information. The 
so-called “ rust ” or “ scald,” the work of a 
fungus, is very likely the cause. The wet 
season may have favored its development 
more than in previous years. A change of 
varieties is all we can suggest. 
D. C. A., Cattaraugus, N. Y.— By means 
of clearing, stumping and ditching I have 
prepared 12 acres for setting out about GOO 
cherry, 100 apple and 300 pear trees, the 
rest of the ground to be devoted to cur¬ 
rants and raspberries, together with about 
100 plums. The land for pears is a quite 
stiff clay and faces south; and the rest a 
stiff, stony soil, which I consider suitable 
for cherries. Will currants do well in a 
pear orchard ? Will the pears do as well 
with them as without ? 
Ans.—N either will do as well as when 
each has the soil to itself. There are grave 
objections to mixing up orchards in this 
way. The currants, however, will do well 
for years before the trees arrive at a bearing 
age. They may then, if desired, be re¬ 
moved. 
A. G. B., New Monmouth, N. J.— In or¬ 
der to have sod ground properly prepared 
for com planting, is it advisable to have the 
first plowing done during the previous fall 
or winter, or, would it be better to let the 
sod remain undisturbed till spring ? 
Ans. —This matter was very thoroughly 
discussed in a “symposium” on page 644 
of the R. N.-Y. for 1888. In this discussion 
spring-plowing was generally preferred. 
All advocated spring plowing of sandy 
soils and clover sod, while there was a dif¬ 
ference of opinion as to when to plow clay 
soils and Timothy sod. 
D. C. A., Cattaraugus, N. Y. —I would 
like to learn if I can save clover seed by 
thrashing with a flail and cleaning with a 
fanning-mill. 
ANS. —The hull clings so closely to the 
seed that it would probably not be practic¬ 
able to secure all of the seed in this way. 
We have seen clover thrashed with a flail 
enough to pound off the heads, and then 
sown “ in the chaff.” It should be sown on 
the snow if this is practiced. 
S. E. Me C., Warren, Ohio.—A potato 
somewhat of a favorite around here is 
called the Rosy Morn a specimen of which 
I send to the R. N.-Y. Is there such a va¬ 
riety ? 
Ans.—A s the R. N.-Y. remembers, the 
Rosy Morn was introduced by B. K. Bliss 
& Sons some eight years ago. The potato 
sent closely resembles this variety. At 
present we think that W. W. Rawson & 
Co., of Boston, Mass., offer it for sale. 
J. A. H., Weedsport, N. Y .—Is there any 
paper devoted in whole or great part to the 
culture of onions or the onion trade ? 
ANS. —No, but J. J. H. Gregory, Marble- 
heap, Mass., and D. Landreth & Sons of 
Philadelphia, have published pamphlets or 
books. 
F. W., Lilly Lake, III .—Has the R. N.- 
Y. ever tried an early potato called the 
Early Illinois ? I have raised it for five 
years. It is an improvement in every way 
on the Early Ohio. 
Ans.—N o. 
J. B. C., Prospect Park, III. —Which of 
the red grapes is the earliest and the best ? 
What kind of grape is the Moyer ? 
ANS. —With us the Brighton is thus far 
the best early red grape. We have not 
tried the Moyer. 
Miscellaneous. 
O. H. P. A., (no address).— Who is the 
publisher of Zell’s Cyclopedia ? 
Ans. —T. Ellwood Zell, Philadelphia, Pa. 
C. M. B., Whitney's Point, N. Y.— 
Where can I get the Simon Plum ? 
Ans. —From Ellwanger & Barry, Roches¬ 
ter, N. Y. 
C. H. B., Baldwimville, N. Y.— Several 
of our subscribers have fed silage to sheep 
with good success. We have not heard of 
any evil results. It is expected soon to 
publish more authentic reports of the ef¬ 
fects of silage when fed to other animals 
than cattle. 
T. F. IF., Constitution, Ohio. —Where 
can the Brownell’s Winner Potato and 
Breed’s Universal Weeder be obtained ? 
Ans.—T he Brownell’s Winner Potatoes 
are sold by W. At lee Burpee & Co., Phila¬ 
delphia. Breed’s Universal Weeder is made 
by the Universal Weeder Co., North Weare, 
N. H. It is a light, one-horse implement, 
not suitable for any attachment. 
K. N., Dorchester, Md. —How far apart 
should Japanese Persimmons be planted ? 
Ans.—I t depends upon the variety. The 
tall-growing sorts, like Hacheya, Kuro 
Kume, Minokaki, etc., should be allowed 
fully 15 by 15 feet if planted in an orchard 
where the soil is intended to be plowed. 
For garden culture 12 feet will answer. The 
dwarf-growing sorts like Zingi, Ko-Tsuru, 
O Kame, etc., should be planted 12 by 12 in 
orchard aud 10 feet in gardens. 
E. H. C., Bowmansdale, Pa. —In what 
way is the precipitation of moisture calcu¬ 
lated by the Signal Office. I have been 
keeping a record for years; but I have 
measured the rainfall and snow separately. 
The past has been the wettest season of 
which I have any knowledge—60 inches of 
rain have fallen since January 1, 1S89, 
whereas the average ranges from [37 to 42 
inches in this section. 
ANS.—Gen. A. W, Greeley, Chief Signal 
Officer at Washington writes us as follows : 
“ Snow, sleet and hail are melted and re¬ 
corded as precipitation. The precipitation 
at Signal Service stations includes the 
total amount of rain, hail, sleet, snow and 
mist.” 
D. B. D., Southampton, N. Y.—l. What 
is the trouble with the inclosed cuttings of 
the Cuthbert Raspberry ? 
My Cuthbert Raspberry plants were set 
in the fall of 1888 and wintered nicely, 
growing thriftily until August of this year, 
when an occasional stalk turned black and 
died to the ground. The rest held their 
leaves until late this fall, but when the 
sap went down to the roots, it left the 
plants dry, and now nine out of 10 hills are 
apparently dead to the ground. Is the 
troutde due to a disease ? 2. Will the 
stalk which comes up next year be healthy ? 
3. If it is a disease, is it contagious? 
Ans.— 1. It is, as we believe, a disease of 
fungous origin. 2. No. The disease will 
appear when the new caaes are in bloom 
and the berries will dry up or ripen imper¬ 
fectly. 3. Yes, it seems to be virulently 
contagious. 
Byron Stephens, Ontario, Canada.— 
Probably we do not understand the ques¬ 
tions. Why have the vines sent from the 
Rhine ? Unless for glass culture the va¬ 
rieties alluded to would not thrive with you. 
Discussion. 
THE ACTUAL CASH SALES FROM A 
50-ACRE FARM. 
T. B. Terry, Summit County, Ohio.— 
The article giving my family expenses for ' 
a year has brought me as well as the R. N.- 
Y. many letters. Some say, in effect: 
“ You make most of your money from writ¬ 
ing and lecturing, and it isn’t honest to 
write as though you could live in that style 
from the proceeds of a 50-acre farm.” Oth¬ 
ers are more gentlemanly, and say they do 
not doubt my word, but are exceedingly 
anxious for more explicit figures. Even a 
lawyer, from away off in South Dakota, 
struck by our “ civilized mode of life, as 
evidenced by our expense account,” writes 
for more light. Some years ago the State 
Board of Agriculture offered a prize of $50 
for the best detailed report of the best and 
most profitably managed farm. The writer 
won the prize. From this report I copy the 
actual cash receipts for two years: 
“Crops raised in 1881 and 1882. As last 
year was very dry and this as much too 
wet, I give the crops for both years. The 
two together will make a fairer average 
than either alone.” 
1881. 
Lot 1, 6 acres : crop early potatoes, ) 
531 bushels, sold for f $471. 
Lots 2 and 3,5% and six acres, crop, ) 
hay, 45 tons, two cuttings ; sold, fed - 360. 
out on place for $8 a ton. ) 
Lot 4, six acres; 5)4 acres potatoes,) 
869 bushels ; one-hall acre squashes ;- 967. 
sold for $80. ) 
Lots 5 and 6, six and 5)4 acres ;) 
wheat, 38 bushels per acre, sold for - 747. 
$1.50 a bushel; straw for $92. ) 
Total receipts from 35 acres_$2,545 
1882. 
Lots 1 and six: crop, wheat, 35 ) 
bushels per acre, sold for $1.15 a bu., 7 -$587. 
tons rowen at $8 and wheat straw. ) 
Lots 3 and 5; crop, hay, 30 tons at) 
$8 a ton, six acres clover seed and [ 330. 
straw $90. ) 
Lot 2; five acres potatoes, 950 bush -) 
els, sold for $424; one-half acre of >- 544. 
squashes sold for $120 ) 
Lot 4; potatoes 1,ISO bushels, sold for 571. 
Total receipts from 35 acres_$2,032. 
In 18S2 we lost between 400 and 500 bush¬ 
els of potatoes by rot, in August, and 
plowed under about 12 tons of clover, or 
our receipts would nearly have come up to 
those of 1881. These figures are correct, ex¬ 
cept that the yield of clover seed in 18S2 was 
estimated, as the crop had not been hulled 
at the time the report was written. By 
reference to cash account I find that we 
sold R. P. Williams, of this place, the seed 
we had to spare, for $116.62, on the 31st day 
of January, 1S83. I give the figures for 
these two years for two reasons: First, be¬ 
cause they were all drawn off and giving 
them will save much time. Second: I 
never received a dollar for literary work 
until 1882, and but $97 then ; so I cannot be 
accused of making that money by my pen. 
With the wheat money of 1881 I paid the 
last $500 of my debts, which had hung over 
me for a dozen years. I cannot give the 
exact figures yet for this year (1889); but if 
I had cut my hay, and staid at home and 
Stti.scellam'ou.s' Advertising. 
"Her brand” Fifth Wheel for Buggies 
