THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
MARCH i 
136 
Discussion. 
TAPPING MAPLE TREES. 
E. P., Jewett, N. Y.—I think very little 
damage is done the maple tree by the loss 
of sap ; but the wound injures it consider¬ 
ably, especially if it is a young one. It is 
therefore very important to wound the tree 
as little as possible while procuring the 
sap. Seventy-five years ago the sap was 
boiled in large kettles with wood piled 
around them and showers of cinders and 
sparks used to fall in the boiling sap and 
give it the beautiful black color which dis¬ 
tinguished pure maple sugar. The sap 
was caught in troughs made by chopping 
out logs. It was drawn by striking the 
tree with an axe. Under the lowest part 
of the cut a gouge was driven in the tree to 
conduct the sap to the trough. As many 
times as seemed necessary, the operation 
would be repeated. Of course, such a pro¬ 
cess was ruinous to the trees ; but timber 
was plentiful in those days, and if some 
trees were killed plenty remained. But as 
timber became less abundant and the value 
of the sugar bush began to be appreciat¬ 
ed, the sugar-maker looked for some other 
method of drawing the sap. A few used the 
inch auger; but.many more the half-inch bit, 
boring three holes for each bucket. Often 
there were two buckets to the tree and if 
the holes became a little dry so that the 
sap did not flow freely, a fourth hole 
would be added. Enterprising farmers 
soon found that this practice cut up the 
trees badly, and dropped down to two 
spouts to a bucket. But many—as is al¬ 
ways the case in such instances—believed 
no way was so good as the old and per¬ 
sisted in using three spouts, and their 
bushes now show the disastrous effects of 
so doing, and I do not think they got more 
sap than those who used two spouts. I do 
not know why it should be so ; but it was 
many years before the shrewdest farmer 
found that one spout was as good as two, 
producing as much sap, and, of course, it 
wounded the tree only half as much, and 
that is a matter of the greatest importance, 
especially in case of young trees. But 
many farmers still persist in using two 
spouts, and are, I am sure, getting no more 
sap. I have often said to a farmer: “Why 
do you use two spouts when one will run 
as much sap.” The reply would be : “You 
cannot makemebelieve one spout will run as 
much as two.” But often,though unbeliev¬ 
ing, he would try one spout versus two, and 
would invariably drop down to one spout. 
I remember, when a boy, putting 15 spouts 
in one tree, thinking I would get a wonder¬ 
ful flow of sap, but I do not think I got 
more than I would have done from one. 
After repeated experiments, I am satisfied 
that no more sap can be obtained from two 
spouts to each bucket than from one. In 
case of very large trees, however, some ad¬ 
ditional sap can be obtained by using 
spouts on opposite sides ot the tree, but 
not twice as much. I would like the sugar- 
makers who are using two spouts to try 
one next spring and see if they do not get 
just as much sap. If they do, the benefit 
to their sugar maples will be enough to 
pay for the B. N.-Y. the rest of their lives. 
no secret process nERE. 
G. W. H., Rochester. Mass.— On page 
72, No. 2,088, the R. N.-Y., in speaking of 
the record made by my herd of 16 cows, 
says:— 
“Now the R. N.-Y. wants to know what 
secrets of breeding, feeding and working 
this correspondent possesses that make a 
difference of $75 per cow. Are they secrets 
nr can any intelligent man master them 
by honest study and observation ?” 
From the cows thus referred to, butter 
was made as follows : 
January. 
.331 pounds 
February. 
March. 
.287 
April. 
.319 
May. 
.462 “ 
July. 
.575 “ 
August. 
.511 
September. 
.476 “ 
October. 
.411 
November. 
.423 
December. 
.404 
5019 pounds 
Besides the above amount of butter, a 
family of six was supplied with milk and 
cream. The cows are mostly grade 
Jerseys. A large proportion of them are 
the progeny of one cow, now 17 years old, 
hale and hearty. There is no secret about 
the matter. While there is much in breed, 
there is also very much in care and feed. 
Not all the advantages of the low-lands of 
Holland or of Victoria’s farm-studded isles 
can compensate for false economy in feed¬ 
ing and want of care in handling. With 
the best of care and feed not all Jerseys 
would do as well, for there are Jerseys and 
Jerseys. 
If breeders were as careful to breed for 
quality as for “points,” we should have 
much better cows. I am by no means satisfied 
with my present herd, and hope to reach 350 
pounds by the next generation, as a Guern¬ 
sey sire of one of the best butter strains is 
now used. As for the price I get for the 
product, I aim to have my butter good and 
uniform, and deliver it to the consumers 
each week. Having begun with two or 
three customers, about 50 families are now 
supplied. There is no article of food that 
so easily goes to the bad as butter. But¬ 
ter manufacturing commences before the 
cow is milked, and eternal vigilance is the 
price of success. If from Alpha to Omega 
one letter is left out or misplaced, a wry- 
faced butter will tell the tale. The time 
was when knowledge was not within easy 
reach, but at this day there is no excuse 
for the making of poor butter. And the 
cows are just as good as we merit; for they 
are just what we make them, or rather 
allow them to be. Careful selection as a 
basis, and intelligent breeding would double 
their value in a few years. 
SALT AND GAS LIME ON ASPARAGUS. 
A. D., Horseheads, N. Y.—L. V., Goshen, 
N. Y., wants to know how much salt per acre 
should be applied to asparagus to kill 
weeds. If his weeds are pig-weeds he will 
need 10 to 20 tons. This pest likes salt; 
but some weeds may be readily killed with 
it. I have a fine plot of one acre of aspar¬ 
agus. I see a good deal of advice with re¬ 
gard to asparagus, which if practiced 
would give very poor returns for money 
expended. I have tried salt for weeds but 
have failed to kill them to a satisfactory 
extent. The best results have come from 
lime from gas-works. This can be used at 
the rate of 60 to 80 bushels per acre with 
good results. No one should be afraid of 
using it—it will do no harm to the crop. 
Along a fence I have used at the rate of 500 
to 700 bushels per acre to kill Quack Grass 
and other foul stuff and at the same time I 
covered some asparagus hills with it, and 
it did not kill the crop, which grew and 
did well. My roots were set six to eight 
inches underground. I would put the lime 
on in March or the first of April. 
R. N.-Y.—Fresh gas lime contains sul¬ 
phuretted hydrogen, which it removes from 
the gas as it passes through a mixture of it 
with water, and in that state is known as 
milk of lime; it also removes the carbonic 
acid from the gas, and, combining with 
this, becomes carbonate of lime. This car¬ 
bonate of lime holds the sulphuretted hy¬ 
drogen with other sulphur compounds, 
loosely mingled with its moisture and is 
dangerous to vegetation, and it should 
never therefore be used until it has been 
exposed for two or three months to the 
weather. By this means the injurious com¬ 
pounds are changed by oxidation into 
harmless, if not useful, substances, leaving 
the lime in the condition of carbonate or 
mild lime, with some sulphate. In this 
state about 100 bushels per acre might be 
used with about the same effect as 40 to 50 
bushels of ordinary caustic lime. 
NESTING HABITS OF THE ENGLISH SPARROW. 
M. S. C., Caldwell, N. J.—I should 
like to ask whether any of the readers of 
the R. N.-Y. have observed that the Eng¬ 
lish sparrow avoids nesting boxes that do 
not have a perch in front of the entrance. 
Nehrling. iu his North American Birds, 
says: “ Mr. H. Baumgaertner—as great a 
lover of birds as of flowers—told me lately, 
that in his garden, lying in the midst of 
Milwaukee, a pair of Bluebirds build their 
nest every year in spite of the presence of 
countless sparrows. After many experi¬ 
ments, he has found that the latter birds 
will not use nesting boxes, where the perch, 
right under the entrance hole, is absent, 
while the Bluebird evinces a predilection 
for such. He uses small wooden paint kegs, 
bores within four or five inches from the 
top, a 1 )4 inch entrance hole, and fastens 
the kegs on poles or trees. If there is no 
perch near the entrance the sparrow cannot 
support itself at all or only with difficulty, 
while the Bluebird flies in and out very 
adroitly. Bird boxes made of board with 
an entrance hole but no perch will also 
prove of good service.” I intend trying 
this plan, and if it proves to be a means of 
defence for the Bluebird let us build so 
that they can “ hold the fort.” We ought 
to encourage their nesting near our houses 
and gardens,not only on account of the num¬ 
erous ^injurious insects they 'destroy, but 
also on account of their bright plumage and 
social ways. The farmer and gardener will 
be well paid for providing suitable boxes if 
the English sparrow can be prevented from 
occupying them. How pleasant to hear 
their cheery voice announce the coming of 
spring, when they return after the rigors 
of winter, to examine their old nesting 
place or search for a new one. 
[R. N.-Y.—Have any of our readers ob¬ 
served this fact about the sparrows? It is 
worth thinking about. Bluebirds drive 
away the “blues”; sparrows cause them.] 
FEEDING HOGS. 
B. W. R., Sheffield, England.— The 
R. N.-Y.’s notes on oats for hogs are very 
interesting. Allow me to give my method 
of feeding, which for keeping hogs, both 
young and old, in fine condition, and also 
breeding sows at small cost cannot be 
bettered. I have bred hogs in Connecticut 
and Illinois, and my hogs were always 
ahead of those on the surrounding farms. 
Get a number of oil barrels—any tubs will 
do—knock in the ends of the barrels ; put a 
light to the inside of each, and when it is 
burnt enough turn the barrel upside down 
and the flame will go out; then the barrel 
is fit for use. Put a bag of rye bran in a 
tub and put in enough water so that when 
the bran is well mixed with it it will be 
sloppy ; let it stand three days. I used two 
barrelfuls each day. My pigs got nothing 
else except what they could pick up during 
a run in a pasture for two hours before 
feeding time at night. If any readers live 
near an oat-meal mill (as I did in Illinois), 
and can get the fine dust for five cents a bag 
they will find it the finest feed with rye 
bran, treated in the same way. I got the 
meal for nothing, as the farmers would not 
have it, not knowing how to use it. Let 
some one experiment with it, putting six 
12-weeks-old pigs in two separate pens in 
April; let one lot be fed as above, and the 
other have plenty of corn, and let him tell 
his experience in November, giving the 
cost of each system of feeding. 
HOW MANY SHEEP TO A COW ? 
I. J. B., Titusville, N. J.—In a late Ru¬ 
ral the question was asked how many 
sheep can be kept on the rations of one 
cow. By repeated trials I find that 100 dry 
ewes or store sheep will keep in good con¬ 
dition on one ton of good hay during seven 
days. The hay must be good and prefera¬ 
bly clover and Timothy—about half of each 
—and it should be cut while the clover is 
in good condition. A cow will eat about 
one ton of the same hay in three months. 
A fattening sheep will eat one quart of 
corn per day; a cow, if a good feeder, will 
eat eight quarts per day for the same 
length of time as the sheep. This would 
make the winter ration of one cow about 
equal to those of eight sheep, and this pro¬ 
portion is practically about correct in my 
estimation. While the cow has pretty good 
rations, the sheep are not overfed. For a 
time I think sheep will eat three pints of 
corn per day. 
BEANS. 
G. W. McC., Champaign, III.—“Why not 
raise Flageolet Beans instead of Limas ? ” 
Green Flageolet last year with us produced 
five ounces of ripe beans, and Wonder of 
France two pounds 13 ounces on eight rods 
of row. They begin rusting just about the 
time the first pods are large enough for 
use, and before the earliest ones have time 
to ripen naturally the plants are too near¬ 
ly dead to be worth saving. Both the 
white and green'Flageolet wax beans rusted 
even more, and made much poorer yields. 
The Limas, the past year, yielded all the 
way from three to 11 pounds of dry beans 
to eight rods of row; but they were so in¬ 
jured by the frost that the best of them did 
not ripen more than half an average crop. 
The same ground the year before yielded as 
high as 28 pounds of ripe beans on the same 
length of row. 
LEACHED MANURE—A CORN CUTTER. 
J. W. High, Pike County, III.—That 
illustration showing how manure is often 
leached around the stable was about 
“square.” It’s nothing uncommon to see 
almost any where just such a state of affairs 
and vet some say it doesn’t pay to haul out 
manure. They think that to raise clover is 
better'and demands less lanor. I know 
some farms so poor that they raise disturb¬ 
ances instead of clover, the back-bone of the 
farm. In the Rural of February 8, page 85, 
the disposal of corn-stalks is discussed and I 
believe the best and cheapest way to dispose 
of them is to run a two-horse stalk-cutter 
over them when the stalks and ground are 
dry, just before plowing. It cuts into 12 or 
15-inch lengths one row at a time and 
leaves the land in a nice conditioner plow¬ 
ing. 
ANIMAL CASTRATION. 
Dr. F. L. Kilborne, Washington, D. 
C.—J. J. inquires in the Farmers’ Club 
of January 18, page 38, for a “work on the 
spaying and castration of cattle and hogs.” 
“Animal Castration,” by Dr. A. Liautard, 
of the American Veterinary College, of 
New York, treats of the principles and va¬ 
rious methods of castration and spaying 
for all the domestic animals, and is the 
most complete American work yet pub¬ 
lished on these subjects. Every operator 
should have a copy. Price, $2; to be had 
of the author or of William R. Jenkins, 
veterinary publisher, New York. 
A. S. D., South Haven, Mich.—I have 
seen decided benefits from mounding peach 
trees in the autumn as a winter protection. 
The best material to use is perhaps swamp 
muck, or a circle of stable manure with 
sawdust or earth next the trunk. There 
should be no danger from ice if the earth 
or other material is packed around the tree 
during the freezing process. Mice will not 
nest in the sawdust. 
W. J., Jr., Godfrey, III.— To keep 
my monthly roses over-winter without 
much trouble, I peg them flat on the ground 
and cover them with forest leaves to about 
a depth of a foot. I have kept Coquette de 
Lyon, Cornelia Cook, Perle des Jardins 
and the Bride in this way, as well as Mig¬ 
nonette and other roses, when the tem¬ 
perature has gone as low as 10 degrees 
below zero; but I do not cover too early in 
the fall. 
P. G., Oswego Falls, N. Y.—In a late 
RURAL we are told that “ success in farm¬ 
ing depends more on keeping down expens¬ 
es than on increasing income.” This will 
scarcely apply to Mr. Terry, judging from 
his expense and income accounts. Under 
the heading of “ Hens vs.Cows,” on page 85, 
W. C. S. asks readers of the R. N.-Y. to 
drive up their $94 worth of cows and show 
the figures for them against his $94 worth of 
hens. I wonder how many farmers can get 
24cents a dozen the year round, as he has 
done. The highest price reached here this 
winter has been 20 cents per dozen, and 
now they are going at 16 cents, and will get 
as low as 10 cents during the summer. 
How to Accumulate A Fortune.— 
Russell Sage, who has amassed a fortune of 
fifty millions, says that he believes that 
any man of good intelligence can accumu¬ 
late a fortune, at least a moderate one, by 
adopting three principles—industry, econ¬ 
omy and patience. He places no reliance on 
luck. A mind capable of directing one in 
the right course makes success almost cer¬ 
tain. A young man should start out in 
life trusting in God and resolved to attain 
a position of self-dependence. He must so 
conduct himself as to command the respect 
and confidence of all with whom he comes 
in contact. The way in which he is regard¬ 
ed by others will have a powerful influence 
on his future. To disregard the opinions 
of others would be to invite failure. With¬ 
out economy no man can succeed even if he 
should be placed in circumstances where 
there are large gains. His gains would not 
be lasting, for he would not be prepared to 
withstand reverses which are likely to come 
to any one. A man must be ready for set¬ 
backs. There are striking illustrations in 
Wall Street of the lack of foresight in men. 
Great displays are made, and when the 
course of speculation changes to an adverse 
direction the money that is needed to tide 
the speculators over the troubles has been 
dissipated. It is the careful, prudent way 
that makes a man master of the situation— 
the controller instead of the follower. This 
is true not only in business, but also in pol¬ 
itics, religion and every occupation in life. 
Judgment must be exercised in saving 
as well as in spending. It is safe to advise 
a young man to save all he can, and he will 
find that the saving of his first hundred 
dollars will teach him to save the second, 
and so on, until he has laid the foundation 
for a fortune that may by good manage¬ 
ment be made a large one. A man’s health 
has much to do with his success in life, and 
it”'behooves him to look well after his 
bodily condition. IllTiealthwill deprive him 
of energy, which he’ must use to achieve 
success. The young man must work on a 
