i89o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
6 T 3 
rather mixed. The early kind is very 
poor; but the refreshing rains of the past 
few days will be a great help to some late 
corn. Wheat looked well; but yields 
poorly. There are many small and shriv¬ 
eled grains. Oats about half a crop They 
were injured by an insect in the spring. 
Very early potatoes were a fair crop, but 
later kinds are poor to very poor and I 
think the latest will not be much better. 
My buckwheat looks well. J. w. D. 
West Virginia. 
Proctor, Wetzel County, August 29.— 
We have had very hot and dry weather 
since July 4. Wheat is about all thrashed, 
and will not average more than five or 
six bushels to the acre. Corn will be about 
half a crop. Oats almost a failure. While 
some report excellent potatoes, the ma¬ 
jority report light crops. My Rural New- 
Yorker No. 2 are splendid. Apples are very 
scarce—not half enough for home use. No 
plums or peaches. We had some cherries. 
The Early Richmonds were quite full. 
Grapes have rotted very badly. Hay is the 
only full crop we will have this year and it 
was saved in first-class condition. We 
have more rain now than we need and it is 
still pouring. G. R. P. 
Illinois. 
Chicago, Cook County, August 29.— 
There seems to be a general failure of the po¬ 
tatoes in the country surrounding Chicago, 
and any farmer with a good crop of tubers 
should realize handsomely from them. 
Most of the small farmers in this district 
say that if they get enough for home use 
they will be doing well. What there are, 
are of good quality, but very small, there 
being very few marketable potatoes. From 
my plot I do not expect to get as many 
good potatoes as I put into the ground. 
My soil is heavy loam, with a stiff clay 
subsoil. The potatoes were planted accord¬ 
ing to the trench system, produced lux¬ 
uriant tops, and at each hilling up received 
a top-dressing of hard-coal ashes, which 
had gone through an earth closet, mixed 
with kainit and superphosphate from the 
Union Stock-Yards here. The season was 
very wet at planting time, and the sum¬ 
mer very dry. The patch was well taken 
care of by hand, and the result is disap¬ 
pointing. The coal ashes were used for 
their mechanical effect in loosening the 
soil; the kainit to supply potash, and 
the superphosphates to add any other food 
which might have been essential in the 
shape of phosphoric acid and ammonia. 
What was the trouble ? My only consola¬ 
tion is that others are in the same fix, 
which leads me to thiuk the season had a 
great deal to do with the trouble. Pickling 
cucumbers have not come up to the average 
in yield, and prices are higher than usual. 
W. D. K. 
THE HORNELLSVILLE EXPOSITION. 
(RURAL SPECIAL REPORT.) 
Hints to Fair Managers.— This has 
been a splendid fair. In seeking for the 
cause, we find, first, a high moral stand¬ 
ard. Any man can bring his family to 
this exhibition without exposing them to 
the temptations usually found at such 
places. The managers were offered $3,000 
for the privilege of selling liquor on the 
grounds, but not a drop even of beer could 
be found. There was no gambling in any 
shape. I did not hear a bet made. After 
attending other fairs, where one had to 
guard against “drunks,” toughs, swindlers, 
etc., and was annoyed by clamorous fakirs, 
this fair seemed little less than an elysium. 
The next factor of success was the sanitary 
condition of the grounds. Workmen with 
teams kept the walks in front of exhibits 
of stock clean, and ladies and children 
could view the animals without soiling 
their feet and clothing. The privies were 
large, clean, painted and floored buildings, 
a decided contrast to the abominations 
found at nearly all other fairs. The exhib¬ 
itors make the fair, and their wants were 
studied. Everything to save them expense 
and add to their convenience was provided. 
The large number of first-class exhibits 
prove the wisdom of the managers in this 
respect. The desire to have every exhibit 
put in such shape as to instruct was ap¬ 
parent in the grouping and management. 
An experienced attendant was appointed 
to confer with exhibitors, suggest changes, 
and put up signs and labels. Labels and 
short descriptions are instructive, and add 
greatly to the visitors’ pleasure while view¬ 
ing an exhibit. One soon tires of what he 
does not understand. The managers could 
well afford to employ a sign painter free 
of charge. The hall had at all times as 
many visitors as the grand stand at the 
races, which is a very unusual thing. A 
large proportion of the people instinctively 
admire a fine horse, and a trial of speed, 
robbed of its attendant vices, does not 
seem very wicked. The exhibition of the 
“trained pony” in the show ring did not 
cost a dime, but hundreds of farmers’ boys 
were shown how to halter break and train 
colts, free of charge. The average farmer 
boy is quick to pick up ideas, and will take 
new interest in, and better care of, the 
colt at home. The school exhibits, con¬ 
sisting of specimens of drawing, painting 
and hand work of all kinds, were a con¬ 
stant center of attractions to the youth and 
children, as each scheol was allowed space 
for its own display. The rivalry between 
them brought out their best efforts. 
Hints to Farmers.— The farmers of 
other places would do well to imitate those 
of this section. The Farmers’ Club has 1,600 
members, owns the grounds and ran the 
fair. “Fair Week” is a holiday week for 
the farmer, and every member of his family 
helps to make the show a success. As a 
result of this general interest, more farm¬ 
ers here own well-bred stock and have im¬ 
proved varieties of farm products than in 
any other section I know of. A Merino 
ram, shown by E. C. Harris, of East Avon, 
N. Y., sheared 41 pounds &% ounces, and 
weighed only 132 pounds after being shorn, 
at the annual shearing, April 11, 1890. The 
fleece was just one year’s growth. 
“ Chimes ” is three years old, of the At¬ 
wood strain, and is used for stock-getting. 
Mr. H. feeds oats, roots and wheat to his 
stock rams to make them reliable lamb- 
getters. The average weight of the fleeces 
produced by American sheep has doubled 
since 1850. Mr. Dover, of Avon, had South 
Downs and Leicesters. The former mature 
early and are hardy. The offspring of a 
cross between them and the Merinos are 
the best for the winter-lamb industry. Out 
of 14 prizes offered for Percherons, the 
stallion Tongleur and his progeny received 
nine. He is a handsome black, and with 
the 17 other Percherons and Coachers 
shown by John W. Akin, Scipio, N. Y., 
made a grand show in the parade. 
Grade Percherons mature early, being 
fit to work when three years old, and 
they need no breaking to harness, as they 
will work at the first trial. A stallion 
whose colts are as uniform in color and ap¬ 
pearance as those of Tongleur, if used 
steadily, would increase the value of the 
mares’ progeny 100 per cent. Breeding will 
tell; the standard-bred colt Billy Boy, 
owned by Ira Wagener, of Hornellsville, is 
a living example of this. He is three 
years old, has muscles of steel, is as 
“ pretty as a picture.” Not luck, but 
study brings such animals. 
One whole building is occupied by the 
Babcock Stock farm. Every horse’s name, 
breeding, record, etc., are painted on a 
cloth hung up over the stall. The famous 
two-year-old colt “ Vodoo,” which cost 
$24,100, vied with “Smuggler,” valued at 
$40,000, for horse honors. Take away the 
pedigrees and what would they be worth ? 
The farmer has no business with trotters. 
Breeding such stock requires large capital 
and great skill, possessed but by few. The 
Cheshire swine attracted much attention, 
and I think will become more popular than 
the Chester Whites, which have been 
favorites so long. R. E. Coe, of Kirkville, 
has bred them until there is scarcely any 
difference to be seen in the pigs. The 
Duroc-Jerseys of W. A. Alexander, of 
Scipioville, N. Y., attracted attention by 
their size and color. 
W. P. Rupert, Seneca, N. Y., commenced 
testing Jerseys and Short-horn grades for 
milk and butter, One Short-horn, weigh¬ 
ing 1,850 pounds, and one Jersey, weigh¬ 
ing 850 pounds, were fed the same 
amount of food for several months. The 
Short horn made the most butter and was 
in the best condition. After three years’ 
trial he has abandoned everything but 
pure-bred Booth and Bates Short-horns 
for a butter dairy, and he claims that the 
Short-horn assimilates its food better than 
any other breed. The 10 head exhibited re¬ 
ceived nine premiums. J. A. Holbert, 
Goshen, N. Y., sells milk and prefers the 
Dutch Belted cattle for that purpose. They 
are large milters and his herd took prem¬ 
iums. J. P. Hine showed 16 head of polled 
Aberdeen-Angus, winning 15 premiums. 
They are chiefiy kept for beef. I never 
could see any beauty in a polled or dis¬ 
horned cow. The Devons are of an attract 
ive color and I was amused by the remark 
of an honest old farmer who stood looking 
at Jas. Gurney’s fine herd. Said he: “I 
don’t care what color a cow is so long 
as she is bright red 1 ” The society prize 
for the best breed for milk was given to 
W. S. Tucker’s Elm Valley Ayrshires, 
though nearly all other milk breeds were 
in competition. This was a surprise to 
many, as Holstelns were supposed to be the 
milk-givers, but care will bring up any 
breed. 
Among the numerous exhibits of ma¬ 
chinery, I noticed a powerful stump-puller. 
A pressure of one ton at the end of the lever 
will lift 80 tons at the stump. The princi¬ 
ple is the same as that of the steel-yards. 
"With a home-made article on the same 
principle I pulled 50 large pine stumps 
per day, the largest of which left a 
hole 40 feet across when turned over. 
F. J. Townsend, Painted Post, N. Y., ex¬ 
hibited a wire stretcher, the merit of which 
consists in the fact that onemancan stretch 
and nail the wire alone. The Buckeye 
drill and cultivator manufactured by P. P. 
Mast & Co. Springfield, Ohio, were praised 
by many farmers who had used them. The 
drill has a glass feed which is not affected 
by the acid in the fertilizers. The Wiard 
Plow Co. has introduced a lever which 
turns the clevis, and a sure lock on their 
reversible plows. On my farm, which is 
rolling, I use no other. The absence of dead 
furrows to hold water, and back furrows to 
make ridges is desirable. In the future, 
reversible plows will be made for level land, 
and no others will be used. A horse rake 
which can be backed up without raising 
the teeth is a new feature. Many rakes are 
broken by the driver in turning corners 
that are too square, or the lazy boy neglects 
to raise the teeth. H. S. Miller, Newark, 
N. J., had a large exhibit of commercial 
fertilizers and their various compounds, 
and Mr. T. H. Roberts’s explanation of the 
action of chemical plant foods was instruc¬ 
tive. This question of the profit of using 
phosphates must be decided for each farm 
by experiments. The Kemp & Burpee 
improved manure spreader, truck wagon, 
and wheelbarrows are already favorably 
known. The spreader will now deliver ma¬ 
nure in the bottom of the trenches only, put¬ 
ting it into two at a time if desirable. This 
would be just the thing for fertilizing pota¬ 
toes and garden products. A spring-tooth 
harrow from the Pitts Agricultural Works, 
Buffalo, N. Y., has teeth fastened on the 
underside of the frame, so as to prevent 
the latter from settling into the soil. The 
disk and Cutaway harrows do not seem to 
take in sections where land is stony, and 
there some form of tne spring-tooth 
is still the favorite. Road making is being 
discussed by enterprising papers, and the 
American Road MachineCompany has a new 
road-scraper. Its merit is lightness, being a 
steel frame. The Victor hay press is well 
made, and makes a nice bale. Many dis¬ 
cussions were indulged in as to the merits 
of horse or steam power for hay presses. I 
think it is cheaper to have the hay baled by 
those who use steam power. What is the 
reader’s experience ? A wire fence patented 
and shown by Mr. Newman has a good 
deal of merit. The different stands are 
combined in the form of a truss, so that 
force applied to one bears equally on all. 
In the main hall I found what always 
come the broom grasses, including Chess, 
which some still insist comes from damaged 
wheat; nine specimens of Fescue, and also 
Crested Dogtail, Johnson Grass and six 
species of clover were noticed. The at¬ 
tendance one day was 15,000. and the fair 
was one of the best I ever saw. 
C. E. CHAPMAN. 
If you name The R. N.-Y. to our adver¬ 
tisers you may be pretty sure of prompt 
replies and right treatment. 
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pleases me, a young farmer who is going to 
win. He is studying The R. N.-Y. and 
the potato. Mr. Woodruff shows speci¬ 
mens of 36 varieties hard to beat. His 
favorites for profit are the Monroe Seed¬ 
ling, Rochester Favorite and White Star. 
Mrs. O. G. Stillman, an amateur grower of 
house plants, had a splendid exhibit. An 
exhibit of Holy Land bees, at work in a 
glass hive, was a novelty. It was stated 
that a yield of 46 pounds, from a new 
swarm, had been obtained this season, and 
they could work on Red Clover. The 
owner bought Alsike Clover seed at whole¬ 
sale, and let the neighbors have it at cost- 
result, lots of bee food in the neighborhood. 
He has 246 swarms, and one customer who 
takes the honey at 14 cents per pound every 
year. 
A collection of grasses made by F. E. 
Emery of the State Experiment Station, 
was very instructive. The specimens were 
taken up by the roots when just out of 
bloom, and dried, then sewed to stiff cloth, 
and both the botanical and common names 
were printed below them. There were 51 of 
them, and they were of no small value in 
helping people to get a better idea of the 
cultivatable grasses with which they are 
uot familiar, and which, in some cases, 
would be profitable to grow. The species 
were alphabetically arranged ; at the head 
were two species of Quack—the less one 
knows about that the better. Next came 
Red-Top, which it may be well to sow with 
Timothy, as it fills the space between the 
stools and improves the quality of the hay. 
Meadow Foxtail is a very early grass, valu¬ 
able for pasture, as root leaves grow after 
the stems are cut off. Sweet Vernal Grass 
imparts a pleasant odor to hay. The little 
Buchloe is quite a curiosity, since it is a 
deuizen of the 'Western plains. Next 
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