i89o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
67 
to our farms, and maintained for sugar 
production are not generally deteriorating, 
or is their product lessening. The 
present method of tapping is far less in¬ 
jurious than those formerly practiced, 
while care is generally taken to encourage 
a sufficient growth of young trees to take 
the place of the old ones, which are getting 
past their usefulness. The only thing that 
threatens these groves is the increased 
call for hard-wood lumber, which is really 
taking off large numbers of our finest 
birches, beeches, ashes, oaks and butter¬ 
nuts. Yet the farmer is chary of touching 
his Sugar Maples ; and it is only occasion¬ 
ally, as in case of a man heavily in debt, or 
a reckless young man greedy for ready 
money, that a good sugar place will be sac¬ 
rificed. What maple timber is sold is 
mostly taken from spots too inaccessible, 
or where the trees are too scattered to be 
useful for sugar. The Sugar Maple grows 
quickly in our hill country, and the seeds 
are scattered everywhere, so that it is “ as 
native as grass.” The business of sugar¬ 
making, which only takes a few weeks, at 
a time when not much else can be done, is 
regarded as a profitable one, always bring¬ 
ing in cash at a season when it begins to 
be scarce on the farm, and I think there 
need be no fear of its being allowed to run 
out by the destruction of the trees. 
I do not think it is much the custom to 
plant Sugar Maples, except as street and 
yard trees in villages. The freedom with 
which they come up almost anywhere 
renders this unnecessary. I believe that if 
Vermont were abandoned to-day, a hundred 
years would see it one vast unbroken forest, 
in which the Sugar Maple would be the 
predominant tree in all but the swamps 
and sandy plains and the high rocky hills 
where the pine, the spruce, the fir and the 
larch originally made up the chief growth. 
As to old trees, there are yet plenty of 
the old original growth yielding sap, and 
thousands girthing from six to 10 feet can 
be found. The Sugar Maple, as a forest 
tree, grows very tall and of an even size 
tapering very little, so that one of them 
makes more cord-wood or timber, than 
would usually be guessed at a glance. If 
carefully tapped, when not too young, a 
tree is not seriously injured nor is its vital¬ 
ity impaired. By the older methods the 
trees were often rapidly destroyed; but as 
these were really more difficult and trouble¬ 
some, they have been generally abandoned. 
The chief injurious fault I see now, is put¬ 
ting too many buckets on one tree. Two 
are enough even for the largest, while the 
small ones would do better if tapped only 
alternate years. I think the surest thing 
to send our maples to the mill would be the 
removal of the tariff on sugar. Even the 
reduction already made has had a visible 
effect. 
Orleans County, Vt. 
FROM PROF. A. J. COOK. 
Although maple-sugar making when 
rightly managed is one of the most profit¬ 
able branches of farm economy, it is not 
appreciated in this State. The old bushes 
have been ruthlessly cut down and no pains 
are being taken to replace them. I doubt 
if I shall ever plant an orchard; as I have a 
fine sugar grove now, I can tap 1,000 large 
trees. In this sugar grove I have hundreds 
of small trees about six or eight inches in 
diameter. These are growing rapidly, and 
will be in time to take the place of their 
parents if that is ever necessary. My bush 
has now been tapped continuously for 50 
years and shows no signs of decadence yet 
notwithstanding the fact that formerly the 
trees were cruelly slashed with an axe in 
tapping, instead of receiving a slight 
wound with a three-eighths inch bit as prac¬ 
ticed to-day. I doubt if trees would ever fail 
if rightly cared for. Like most organic 
structures, the maple seems very quick to 
recover from any wound. 
Let me state the following facts which I 
am sure of, from experience : 1. The maple 
sirup industry is one of the most profitable 
industries of the farm. 2. As sirup is a 
great luxury, and will always be scarce, 
the price will rather advance than decline. 
3. The season of the sap gathering comes 
when the work interferes little with the 
general farm routine. 4. One can not 
afford to cut a good bush, or to let it re¬ 
main idle. 5. It pays to get the best im¬ 
plements ; like the Champion evaporator, 
Post spout, tin buckets and covers for all 
the buckets. 6. The sap must be kept 
sweet and clean, and must be reduced as 
quickly as possible after it leaves the tree. 
This requires seasoned wood, a good evap¬ 
orator and an energetic man at the head. 
7. The buckets should be washed after 
each run, so that the sirup will always, 
from the first to the last, be A No. 1. 8. 
The sugar-maker should never let any but 
a first-class article leave his hands. 9. For 
such an article a good price will always be 
paid, and the market will always seek the 
article. My market has constantly in¬ 
creased, with no pains on my part, till now 
it reaches far distant States. I could sell 
double the amount of sirup I can produce, 
with almost no labor. 
Ingham County, Mich. 
FROM PROF. E. DAVENPORT. 
Thus far no steps are being taken to re¬ 
place the Sugar Maples that are gradually 
disappearing from our forests. The dis¬ 
appearance is, however, apparent rather 
than actual, for young maples by the 
millions are thriving wherever they are 
protected from stock and the soil is *at all 
suited to their growth. The old maples of 
the forest are fast passing away, not from 
the effects of tapping so much as from the 
fact of exposure. They die from the same 
cause that kills any forest tree when left to 
stand in a cleared field. The sugar 
orchards are now mostly in isolated and 
somewhat small bodies of timber. The 
owners, recognizing the fact of their dis¬ 
appearance, are in many cases encouraging 
the growth of the small maples, and to this 
end they exclude stock from the orchards. 
The maple is a favorite tree for planting 
along roadsides. It is possible, and only 
possible, that in time we may come to the 
point of planting sugar orchards as well 
as apple orchards. If all believed as 
thoroughly as the writer in the value of 
Sugar Maples, they would be more plentiful 
than they are. I am sorry to say that in 
many cases no care whatever is taken to 
save the old or to protect the young, the 
owners apparently not recognizing or else 
not caring what the inevitable end will be. 
I do not know how long a tree will endure 
tapping. I do not believe the process of 
tapping will of itself either kill a tree or 
materially shorten its life any more than it 
will to milk a cow or shear a sheep or raise 
a crop of fruit from any tree. I will admit 
the injury to the individual to be slightly 
more, but I fully believe that the evil effect 
of tapping has been greatly overrated. 
For the reasons I have given the trees of 
the original forests are gradually but sure¬ 
ly failing. I know of those that have been 
tapped for 25 and 30 years and have known 
of trees of the “second growth ” accustomed 
to the conditions, on which tapping had 
been practiced much longer than this with- 
no signs of failure. Trees were once near¬ 
ly girdled in tapping, but now the puncture 
is trifling and I believe the injury but 
. nominal. 
Ingham County, Mich. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Indiana. 
Ligonier, Noble County, December 20.— 
We do not find it advisable here to make 
a specialty of any one crop. Our soil is 
about equally adapted to any or all of the 
staple products of the farm, and as the 
success or failure of any one crop depends 
to a large extent upon the season, we deem 
it best to rotate our crops and drop all at¬ 
tempts at specialization. The best results 
have been realized the past season from 
the oat and early clover-seed crops. Corn 
suffered somewhat from lack of moisture, 
but not to such an extent as to produce a 
failure; while a combination of circum¬ 
stances together with the ravages of the 
green fly caused the wheat to rust and 
shrink somewhat. At present wheat 
though not large gives every promise of a 
good crop. w. w. L. 
Pendleton, Madison County, January 
16.—For the summer of 1S90, I predict that 
those farmers who plant early and culti¬ 
vate well, before the drought of summer, 
will have the best crops. It will be well to 
plant potatoes in the valleys, according to 
theR. N.-Y. trench system. Plant sorghum 
on the ridges, for sweets to combat the 
sugar trust, and for forage. Plant well 
tested seed corn early, on land that is well 
enriched, and thoroughly prepared, harrow 
as the corn is coming up. Cultivate as 
deep and as close to the corn as possible,, 
the first aud second times. After cultiva¬ 
tion should be shallow and frequent. We 
have had the mildest, and wettest winter 
ever known in this State. Wheat has been 
making a steady growth, and is now luxu¬ 
riant. Cattle are doing well on pastures. 
Corn was a light yield, and inferior in 
quality. Our winter has been like those of 
Southern California with a greater rain¬ 
fall. s. w. H. 
Michigan. 
Lansing, Ingham County, January 13.— 
When we look back at the R. N.-Y. and 
see what “the weather sage of New Jer¬ 
sey ” had to say about our winter, we have 
to smile as we have had no winter weather 
this fall, to speak of. Farmers have been 
able to plow nearly all the time. Wheat has 
grown nicely. Many fields which showed 
but little or no top on November 1, have 
come on, and if the balance of the season is 
favorable they willjmake a crop after all. 
J. H. B. 
Missouri. 
Dunlap, Grundy County, January 8.— 
Grundy is the middle county of North 
Missouri on an east and west line, and on 
40 degrees parallel of north latitude, and 
the second tier from the Iowa line. We 
have a fine soil that never fails to produce 
a crop. This year we have been abundantly 
blessed with very heavy crops. Missouri 
boasts of having the largest school fund of 
all the States. This is vain talk to many 
Eastern people who do not dream of schools 
among a people who are supposed (by 
them) to have bristles up their backs like 
the old-time porkers. Should our highly- 
polished Eastern brother condescend to 
come out west a few days, he would be just 
a little surprised to find progress, improve¬ 
ment, schools, churches, State and private 
colleges and even a penitentiary. There is 
room here for a few more good men who 
can get good farms for 820 per acre and up, 
according to location, etc. I am not in the 
real estate business, but would like good 
men to buy all the farms now rented and 
put them in good condition. The soil 
yields better returns for a little manure 
than does any other place I have ever seen. 
The wheat crop looks well so far. This 
fall and winter have been remarkably fine. 
There has been no rain to speak of, no snow 
or mud and December was as pleasant as 
May. Plowing for spring crops continued 
’till January 11. The prices of stock and 
grain ran low this season, but better prices 
and times seem evident in the future. The 
surplus stock in the Great Southwest is 
about marketed and the cattle business 
seems to be looking up already. A better 
class of stock prevails also, as the farming 
community is fully convinced that good 
stock is as easily reared and more easily 
fattened than natives. The Short-horn, 
Aberdeen-Angus, Galloway, Hereford, and 
Holsteins are well represented in the West. 
Dishorning is very common, as a hornless 
herd is more peaceable and requires less feed 
and space in shelter. This would be a good 
place for some of the Vermonters who are 
tired of picking stones. They could plow a 
day here without seeing a stone. We use 
the finest steel plows the world affords. 
G. W. T. 
Gentry County, January 20.—Crops ot 
all kinds are good here. Prices are low 
for grains and stock ot all kinds. Farmers 
are pretty well organized in this county. 
They have quite a good number of stores 
which sell us goods at from seven to 10 per 
cent, on the wholesale cost. This sort of 
thing is causing quite a good deal of un¬ 
easiness among merchants generally, as 
nearly all the farm trade goes to the union 
stores. I am following the dairy business 
and sell my butter to yearly customers at 
the uniform price of 20 cents per pound, 
and keep hogs and like the business better 
than general farming. w. R. 
New York. 
Forestville, Chautauqua County, Jan¬ 
uary 15.—Our mild, wet weather still contin¬ 
ues. Cattle can be seen grazing contented¬ 
ly in pastures which look as fresh and green 
as in April. Last Monday (the 13th) was a 
day to be long remembered as the strangest 
of our time. At 6 A.M. the mercury regis¬ 
tered 64 degrees; there was a light rain with 
a warm, almost suffocating wind blowing a 
gale from the southwest tearing down 
fences, uprooting trees, etc.; at 10.30 A.M. 
the mercury stood at 6S degrees; within 30 
minutes it had dropped 27 degrees, and at 
sundown it was one degree below freezing- 
point, snow falling lightly. “The Grang¬ 
ers ” are growing fast. The time is not far 
distant when they will have a hand in the 
political affairs of our country which will 
be of a benefit to farmers in general. “ The 
Alliance” men of the West are making 
rapid strides and it is plainly evident that 
the political and financial future for the 
American farmer is gradually brightening. 
C. H. F. 
McLean, Tompkins County,'January 16 
—Mixed farming is practiced in this section. 
The principal products shipped away are 
hay, potatoes, butter, cheese, apples, veal 
calves, sheep and lambs. Buckwheat is 
also raised extensively and was a splendid 
crop this year. Hay was a full crop; pota¬ 
toes, one-third; apples, a failure. Oats gave 
a heavy grain crop; but the straw was light. 
Barley was a full crop; but the price is too 
low, 40cents. Butter is really a “sticker,” a 
fair dairy bringing only 13 cents to 15 cents 
per pound and fine fresh tubs 20 cents. 
Farmers don’t feel very well paid this year, 
for labor has been scarce and high compar¬ 
ed with the prices for produce. F. E. T. 
Ohio. 
Medina County, January 13.—This has 
been so far a most remarkably open winter; 
we have had no snow, and there have been 
(Continued on Page 73.) 
i 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
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Ask only a few questions at one time. Put 
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ENGLISH BREEDS OF SHEEP. 
F. M. V., StocMon, N. Y .—Would a 
purebred Hampshire Down ram make a 
good cross on purebred South Down ewes ? 
What is the difference between the Hamp¬ 
shire, Oxford, and Shropshire sheep? 
Which is the largest of the three ? Would 
the Lincoln sheep be a good breed to raise 
for wool and mutton ? Are sheep of this 
breed the largest ? 
ANSWERED BY HENRY STEWART. 
The Hampshire is a larger sheep than the 
South Down and the cross contemplated 
would increase the size of the cross-bred 
sheep. As a rule, cross-breeds, the progeny 
of two different pure breeds, gain in size 
over either of the parents—(see figures be¬ 
low). The difference between the breeds 
mentioned consists in several points: they 
are all cross breeds and English in their 
origin, and all have South Down blood in 
them. The Hampshire originated 80 or 90 
years ago in a cross between a large white¬ 
faced, horned sheep of the county of Hamp¬ 
shire and the pure South Down. By se¬ 
lection and some crossing with the Cots- 
wold this breed has been brought up to a 
large size and made to produce a valuable 
long-wooled fleece. The Oxfordshire sheep 
is a cross between the Hampshire and the 
Cotswold made 60 years ago. It is a large 
sheep and has a fleece finer than the Cots¬ 
wold, and coarser than the Hampshire’s. 
Its fleece is not so black as that of the 
Hampshire. The Shropshire is of rather 
mixed progeny. It came from a cross of 
the Cotswold on the Morfe-Common sheep, 
a black-faced, horned kind, small, but very 
hardy. This c.ross was further mixed with 
Leicester blood and finally with South 
Down. The breed is about 100 years old. 
It is smaller than the other two, but larger 
than the South Down, and has a longer, 
somewhat coarser fleece, but of the same 
class of wool—“medium clothing.” The 
relative sizes may be seen by comparing 
the following weights of the prize fat weth¬ 
ers and lambs under a year old at the En¬ 
glish shows of the past fall months. The 
common average weights of the sheep men¬ 
tioned are about two-thirds of those of the 
fat wethers given below: 
Weights of 
Sheep 
Lambs 
Leicester 
254 
165 
Cotswold 
277 
174 
Lincolns 
321 
191 
South Downs 
217 
163 
Hampshire 
269 
198 
Shropshire 
241 
148 
Oxfordshire 
293 
183 
Cross-breeds 
28S 
213 
The Lincoln is the largest of all sheep and 
its fleece is the longest. Fat wethers of 
this breed have reached a weight of over 
400 pounds aud the wool a length of 16 
inches. The Hampshire, as the weight of 
the lambs will show, is remarkable for its 
rapid early growth and the size of the 
lambs. For the production of early lambs 
its quick growth and black face give it an 
