1896 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
7 
FARMERS’ CLUB DISCUSSION. 
(CONTINUED.) 
For a while, there seemed to he a dis¬ 
content with the unfed horse ; but in 
30 days’ time, there was a decided im¬ 
provement in condition, and in 60 days, 
the horse was much in advance as to 
flesh and appearance. He then began 
the practice of feeding twice in 24 hours, 
and in six months, his team was “rolling 
fat,” and on three-fourths the grain they 
had been eating. The theory is clear : 
The stomach must have rest; when over¬ 
crowded, it cannot digest the food suffi¬ 
ciently, and thereby causes the voiding 
of much grain or undigested food. 
All stock must be contented to thrive 
and produce the best results. Were I 
feeding cattle or hogs for market, I 
would settle on but two feeds per day, 
with rest between. Were I a dairyman, 
I would follow this practice rigidly, for 
I know that I never failed to increase 
the flow of milk with cows contented 
and restful. While at rest, the assimi¬ 
lation becomes more perfect, and con¬ 
duces to the productive faculty of the 
cow. A careful test will convince the 
most skeptical, especially if reduced to 
a test by the scales, of feed and product, 
leaving out the extra care and time of 
feeding. 
When to Irriqate Potatoes. 
W. A. H., J onesville, Mich. —On page 
778, J. E. W., tells when a Mormon 
farmer put the water on potatoes in 
Utah. That man knew his business. 
When the season is dry during the fore 
pai*t of the potato growth, up to bloom¬ 
ing and setting, the potatoes root deep 
and set deep. If they root and set deep, 
they find plant food while in search of 
water. When they are well rooted and 
set deep, it is just the time to water. 
They need water then to fill out the set¬ 
ting, and a large crop is sure to follow. 
If we get a wet season until about July 
10, and then it comes off dry and hot, 
potatoes, corn, etc., are sure to suffer, 
and will feel the drought in a very few 
days, while the earth has really lots of 
water in the subsoil. The reason of this 
is that the plant roots high if the ground 
is wet; when the drought comes, it 
catches the roots near the surface, and 
cooks them before they have time to root 
deeper. 
For best results, give me a dry season 
up to about July 10 to 15 ; then some 
rain, and the result is a big crop of corn, 
potatoes, and other crops that fill and 
mature the last of July and August, even 
in September and October. The secret 
of planting potatoes late (last of June in 
our climate), is revealed in my argument. 
We generally get rain freely up to July 
1 to 15 ; then it comes off dry at once. 
The potatoes get started, and when the 
drought comes, they root deeper and 
deeper, but set little if any, put out little 
tops, and just about manage to live. 
Finally, in September or October, we get 
rain, and the potato is ready to drink it 
in, and the crop is a happy surprise to 
the farmer, who himself seldom knows 
just why it is so. In our country, we 
can’t irrigate, so we have to wait for Na¬ 
ture, and catch her as nearly as we can, 
If we could irrigate, the time to do it is 
when potatoes are in bloom and setting 
when corn is setting and filling, etc. 
The old Maiden’s Blush apple is valued 
for the delicate coloring of its skin. In 
quality it is not of the richest, but the 
flesh is exceedingly tender, and there is 
about it a mild, delicious flavor that 
fully makes up for what is called a 
higher quality in other apples. It is 
highly valued in the following States : 
New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, 
New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Vir¬ 
ginia, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Ten¬ 
nessee, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Ne¬ 
braska, Kansas, South Carolina and 
Ontario. E. M. Buechly, of Greenville, 
0., sends us a specimen of a seedling of 
the Maiden’s Blush which the originator, 
Jason Downing of Darke County, 0.,is 
pleased to call Downing’s Winter Maiden 
Blush, the seed of which was planted 
in the spring of 1874. The first fruit 
was borne seven years afterwards. 
At the age of 14 years, the tree 
yielded 15 bushels of choice fruit. In 
size, it is medium, in shape nearly 
round, but sometimes slightly conical. 
The color of the skin is a soft, wax-like 
yellow, with a feeble crimson blush. 
The white flesh is even finer grained 
than its parent, mild, sub-acid and 
slightly aromatic. Probably it will 
thrive in those localities where its par¬ 
ent is well-known and popular. The 
season of Maiden’s Blush is mid-autumn. 
The season of Downing’s Winter Blush is 
said to be from December to April. It 
seems to us that the name is not well 
chosen, and that “Greenville,” suggested 
by Mr. Van Deman, would be preferable. 
Evidently we don’t know much of 
the possibilities of the improvement of 
the hickory nut. Up to this time, the 
Hales hickory discovered in a woods 
near Ridgewood, N. J., by Henry Hales 
of that place, is the best variety known; 
best, because of its large size and thin 
shell. We are now in receipt of a box 
of hickory nuts from Frank Waring, of 
Philipsburg, Pa., the average size of 
which is 5>2 inches one way, and five 
the other in circumference. These nuts 
which, perhaps, average larger than the 
Hales, have thicker shells. Still they 
are full of meat and give additional 
proof of what we may hope for from 
studied selection and seedling cultiva¬ 
tion. 
It is but a few years ago that Tiie’ R. 
N.-Y. was not carefully followed in its 
advocacy of the best of the Japan chest¬ 
nuts, and of the probability of improving 
them through seedling cultivation. 
This indifference has passed away. We 
have now Japan chestnuts thrice larger 
than our natives and fully as good in 
quality, viz. : the Paragon, Ridgely and 
Burbank, mentioned in the order of 
their quality. The R. N.-Y., as is well- 
known, was the first paper to bring to 
public attention the merits of the Para¬ 
gon. We-have now the-Ridgely, and are 
promised next spring a tree or two of 
the Burbank, which is not yet intro¬ 
duced. 
Our friend, Mr. J. L. Normand, of 
Marksville, La., who is experimenting 
with figs, writes us that the variety 
called Hirter du Japan is the best variety 
to grow in pots or tubs in the North, on 
account of its dwarf habit of growth, 
hardiness and fruitfulness, and fine 
quality of the figs. Cuttings have borne 
with him the first year. The variety is 
close jointed, and often the figs are borne 
in pairs in the axils of the leaf stalks, 
thus yielding nearly twice the amount 
of fruit on a given surface yielded by 
other varieties. This variety was sent 
to Mr. Normand by our friend, Charles 
Howard Shinn, the inspector of the agri¬ 
cultural stations of California. He says 
that it is of slow, compact growth, that 
it bears an astonishing quantity of fruit, 
and is nearer a perpetual bearer than 
any other fig known in California. The 
figs are round, of medium size, and of a 
purple color. The flesh is white and the 
quality unsurpassed. 
Such varieties of figs may well be 
grown by any of our readers who have 
frost-proof cellars. 
Alluding again, as we promised to do, 
to the Cassabanana, or Benincasa ceri- 
fera, Mr. Normand tells us that it is not 
edible when raw. He peels the fruit 
with a sharp knife, then cuts it up into 
small pieces about an inch square, and 
scalds them in hot water. The water is 
drained off, and as many pounds of 
sugar are added as there are pounds of 
fruit. Add a little water and cook until 
tender. As to cultivating, the seeds 
would better be started early in pots, 
and transplanted to open ground when 
all danger of frost is over. The richer 
the soil, the better. Plenty of trellis 
should be given for the vine to run on, 
though our own vines at the Rural 
Grounds were making a rank growth 
without support, and bearing young 
fruit when the tornado destroyed them. 
Mr. Normand raised a vine close to a 
dead tree in an old field. The vine 
reached the top of the tree—the height 
of the tree is not stated—and produced 
200 fruits weighing from four to six 
pounds each. The value of Cassabanana 
evidently depends upon what it may be 
worth for preserving purposes. As a 
curious novelty in the vine way, it may 
also be worthy of cultivation. 
Mr. A. S. Worthington, of Benzie 
County, Mich., says that clover is rarely 
injured in his part of the State by the 
cold of winter. Thousands of bushels 
of potatoes, he says, have been left in 
the ground, and are uninjured, being 
protected by the snow. They will be 
dug in the spring (if the price will pay 
for the labor) in as good condition as if 
they had been stored in the cellar. He 
says that his Rural Winter oats—he has 
half an acre—before the first snowfall 
were looking better than winter wheat. 
Often as we pass grocery stores in up¬ 
town New York, we see baskets of R. 
N.-Y. potatoes. Sometimes we ask the 
name. Rural New-Yorker No. 2 has 
never thus far been given. The latest 
replies to our inquiry were Scotch Mag¬ 
num by one grocer, Burbank by another. 
Stark Brothers, of Louisiana, Mo., 
regard Red June as the coming Japan 
plum. It is much the shape and size of 
Abundance, red color and good quality. 
Prof. Bailey, of Cornell University, 
Ithaca, says that it begins ripening with 
him June 29, and that it is much super¬ 
ior to Willard—the best, indeed, of the 
early Japan plums. Pres. Berckmans 
says that it is fully 10 to 15 days earlier 
than Abundance. 
MU.occUanrou.o’ §Uvcvti.$imi. 
IN writing to advertisers, please always mention 
The Rural New-Yorker. 
Corn 
is a vigorous feeder and re¬ 
sponds well to liberal fertiliza¬ 
tion. On corn lands the yield 
increases and the soil improves 
if properly treated with fer¬ 
tilizers containing not under 
o 
7% actual 
Potash. 
A trial of this plan costs but 
little and is sure to lead to 
profitable culture. 
Our pamphlets are not advertising circulars boom¬ 
ing special fertilizers, hut are practical works, contain¬ 
ing latest researches on the subject of fertilization, and 
are really helpful to farmers. They are sent free for 
the asking. 
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