THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
January 18 
3 * 
Some Poultry Suggestions. 
C. T. C., Rosendale, N. Y.—I have 
been reading The R. N.-Y. with much 
pleasure, and am interested in the 
poultry articles. Is it necessary to keep 
half a dozen different breeds of hens to 
keep up a perfect rotation of eggs, as 
Mr. Mapes does ? As to hens moulting ; 
some hens do moult quicker than others 
of the same breed, and recover sooner. 
The cause of this is largely due to the 
condition of the hen when she began 
moulting and, the care she has during 
that time. I think that Mr. Mapes, or 
any man that keeps hens by the acre, 
keeps them for profit; if so, why is he 
bothered with moulting hens? We sell 
all our hens before the moulting season, 
as then they bring a good price, and we 
avoid keeping them t wo or more months 
for nothing, as they don’t lay many eggs 
during that season. Rut how about the 
eggs when the hens are sold ? If pullets 
are hatched in March and early April, 
they will begin laying in August, and by 
September will be down to business, if 
well cared for, and furnish eggs in Octo¬ 
ber, November and December, when one 
dozen is worth two that are laid dur¬ 
ing March and April, wdien every half 
kept scrub will lay. As to what breed 
to keep, my experience has taught me 
that, for all purposes, the R. P. Rocks 
lead them all, because they lay when 
very young, and are good cold-weather 
layers, which are the kind for profit. 
The Leghorns will lay more eggs in a 
year, but will not bring so much cash. 
Scalp the Skunk Scalpers. 
J. D., Zanesville, 0.—Some weeks 
ago, in The R. N.-Y., I saw a statement 
that a bounty was being offered by 
farmers in some localities for skunk 
scalps. They must be a bright lot of 
farmers! The skunk is Nature’s mod 
effective exterminator of all kinds of 
farm vermin. Tomato worms are its 
favorite dessert. A Muskingum River 
gardener would no more think of killing 
a skunk than he would of shooting his 
best dog. Large tracts of Ohio territory 
are posted, “ No Hunting or Trapping,” 
with the sole end in view of protecting 
the skunk. The good they do outweighs 
many times in value an occasional 
broiler, or the price of their fur. Retter 
talk of paying a premium for the scalp 
of the hunter or trapper who destroys 
them ! 
Milk in Place of Meat. 
J. F., Norwalk, O.—If sweet milk is 
fed to hens, meat is not needed. Clab¬ 
bered milk is very good in the place of 
meat. I don't think much of sour milk 
for hens ; it should not be before them 
all the time, as it keeps them too loose. 
Buttermilk three times a week is very 
good. I have not much faith in using 
milk for mixing the morning mash. 
Ground feed should be scalded, and it is 
a little difficult to scald it with milk. 
Milk of any kind will make the heads 
and combs look red and healthy. It also 
makes the egg basket look well. If hens 
have free range, meat is not necessary. 
More About Rams. 
J. C. S., Ore Ranks, Va.—I n my haste 
to finish my reply to Mr. Hoyt’s queries, 
page 856 (1895), 1 omitted to call atten¬ 
tion to quite an important fact of gene¬ 
ral interest. All who have ever pur¬ 
chased a hydraulic ram, as well as those 
who have made inquiries concerning 
them, have, no doubt, been informed 
that a stated amount of water is neces¬ 
sary to operate a ram of a given size. 
This is true, however, only in a limited 
sense. To get the full working capacity, 
as indicated by the quantity of water 
delivered in a given time, the amount of 
water specified is absolutely necessary, 
and it is better to err on the safe side by 
having a little more. Rut where the 
object is more to have a continuous 
stream, rather than a large amount in 
a short time, considerably much less 
water will suffice. All one has to do is 
to regulate the stroke of the “ splash” 
or waste valve, so that less water can 
escape at each descent. The speed of 
the stroke will thus be increased, and 
the amount of flow from the delivery 
pipe correspondingly diminished. If Mr. 
Hoyt’s ram is now working with full 
stroke, he will be surprised to see how 
much longer the same amount of water 
will run it after shortening the stroke. 
Only he must not carry the shortening 
process too far, as a certain amount of 
impetus is requisite to assist in making 
a prompt rebound. 
Keiffer Pear in Indiana. 
A. R.. Raglesville, Ind. —We have 
some Keiffer pear trees, four or five 
years old, that are doing nicely ; the 
fruit is good size, colors up finely on the 
trees, but with some specks, however. 
It needs to be ripened in a cool, dark 
place, but for cooking or canning is all 
right as taken from the trees. I have 
known the pears to sell as high as $2 
per bushel in Washington, Ind. There 
are no very large orchards of this variety 
in this county, but one man in Scott 
County, planted 11,000 trees last spring. 
I don’t know as to the overdoing of this 
variety; while the quality is not the 
best, if properly ripened, the pears are 
very good, and for appearance, I have 
never seen a pear that was better. No 
doubt the color is better on high than 
on low land. 
$U$rcUanc0Ujs 3ulicvtij&inji. 
In writing to advertisers, please always mention 
Tub Rural Nkw-Yohkeu. 
A Chill 
To the surface of the body drives the blood to the 
heart cooled and vitiated. Then follows catarrh, 
indigestion, heart disease. The blood must be 
enriched and vitalized by taking 
Hood’s 
Sarsaparilla 
The One True Blood Purifier. $1; six for $5. 
Hood’s Pills 
cure biliousness and sick 
headache. 25 cents. 
KGRAPE¥INES 
100 Varieties. Also Small Fruits. Trees, Ac. Bestroot- 
ed stock. Genuine, cheap, 2 sample vines mailed for 10c. 
Descriptive price-list free. LEWIS KOESC’H, Eredonls, N. V. 
Plant the Best Currants 
WHITE IMPERIAL excels all others in quality 
for a tine table currant. 
PRESIDENT WILDER combines qualities that 
make it the most valuable market and table Red 
Currant that has been put upon the market. For 
prices apply to 
S. D. AVILLARI), Geneva, N. V. 
mv STRAWBERRY CATALOG 
r" O C C of interest to progressive growers and 
I I \ I—< careful buyers. SIXTY VARIETIES. 
C. N. FLANSBURGII, Leslie, Midi. 
STRAWBERRIES. 
Introducer of Satisfaction Strawberry, has Clyde, 
Wm. Belt. Marshall, Bisel, Brandywine, Eleanor, 
Mary, Staples, Brunette. Over 40 other best varieties. 
Large stock very fine plants. Descriptive Catalogue 
free. ENOS W. DUNHAM, Stevensville, Mich. 
All|A| ■■ the best early Strawberry, New and 
II K IIII I" fully described in our 1800 Catalog 
Large stock of all berry plants at 
very low prices. MILLER, the New Early Red Rasp¬ 
berry, reduced to $2 per 110. 
SLAYMAKER & SON, Dover, Del. 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS THAT GROW. 
I have a large stock for spring of 1896, including the 
standard sorts; also many of the later introduc¬ 
tions. such as Brandywine. Bisel, Eleanor, Clyde, 
Splendid. Satisfaction, Wm. Belt, etc. My prices are 
right. Send for list. 
C. E. WHITTEN’S NURSERY, Bridgman. Mich. 
Pear, Apple, Plum 
Cherry and Peach Trees 
We have a large block growing on rented land. The 
lease expires this spring. The stock must be sold 
without regard to cost of raising. Have fixed the 
lowest prices ever quoted. THE TREES ARE FINE. 
This is, do doubt, the best opportunity offered plant¬ 
ers during the past 25 years. WHITING NURSERY 
CO., Roxbury, Mass. Nurseries at Geneva, N. Y. 
Immiiiimiiiiiuiimimmiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiimiiimiiiu 
LORENTZ ELDORADO 
PEACH. BLACKBERRY. 
Write to Headquarters for free, = 
handsome,Illustrated Catalogue of = 
Peach, Strawberries, 
Apple, Raspberries, 
Pear, Wlneberries, 
Plum, Blackberries, 
Dewberries, 
Gooseberries, 
Grape Vines, E 
Ornamental E 
Trees, etc. : 
All the new and leading varieties. = 
Estimates given for large lots at = 
reduced rates. Crates and Baskets. = 
REID’S NURSERIES, Bridgeport, O. | 
wimmiiiimmimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimimiiiiiiiimiiMiR 
well begun is half done. Begin 
well by getting Ferry's Seeds. 
Don’t let chance determine 
your crop, but plant Ferry’s 
Seeds. Known and sold 
everywhere. 
Before you plant, get 
Ferry’s Seed Annual 
for 1896. Contains more prac¬ 
tical information for farmers 
and gardeners than many high- 
priced textbooks. Mailed free. 
D. M. FERRY & CO., DETROIT, MICH, 
FORD’S 
1896 
BOOK 
OF 
CHOICE 
TESTED 
GARDEN 
FLOWER 
& FIELD 
EEDS 
Largest yielding com.oat* 
potatoes. Fruits, plants 
avrl trees. Accurate des¬ 
criptions. Money-saving 
prices. Write today it's 
Free.. If you plant a tree 
lor sow a seed you need it. 
If you are a market gard¬ 
ener, let us know it Men¬ 
tion this paper. Frank 
Ford A 8on, Ravenna, O. 
We Grow Plants. 
Millions of them, best varieties; also Trees, 
Farm Seed, Potatoes, Etc. Catalogue Free. 
W. N. SCARFF, New Carlisle, 0 . 
Our New 1896 Catalogue 
of FRUIT TREES, PLANTS and VINES ; COMPLETE LIST OF 
ORNAMENTAL STOCK—all hardy and reliable—mailed free. 
T. J. DWYER, Orange County Nurseries, CORNWALL, N. Y. 
PEACH. PEAR. PLUM, leading and new varieties. 
■ J ■ Ideal, Oriole, Lady Thompson are the coming market 
Strawberries, fully tested. Raspberries—Miller. Loudon, Columbian. Blackberries—Maxwell. 
Eldorado, Leader. X3T EVERYTHING CHOICE I’OK THE FRUIT GROWER AT FIRST 
COST. Our catalogue sent free will save you money. MYEJR & SON, Bridgeville, Del. 
We oiTer many new 7 and valuable Trees and 
Small Fruits for Spring planting, among them 
The Alice Grape, hardiest, keeps all winter. Wal¬ 
ter Pease Apple, finest desert Apple. Bourgeat 
Quince and others. Our catalogue of Hardy North¬ 
ern grown stock sent free; or with color plate and 
FRED. E. YOUNG, NURSERYMAN, Rochester, N. Y. 
WERE THE MONEY CROP LAST SEASON. 
The demand for trees is heavy, and the general supply 
limited. Wideawake planters are ordering NOW, and 
you can't afford to wait. Send your list to-day for pi ices, 
have order booked early, and depend upon getting what you buy. true to name. Our little book, mailed fiee. 
tells him’ we know our trees are true to name, and gives prices and varieties of these and other fresh-dug 
thrifty trees. It will pay you to have it. ISAAC C. ROGERS, Mgr. Rogers Nurseries. Dansville, N.Y. 
Your Name address 
wHim 
Plainly written on a postal card and addressed to 
W. F. ALLEN, JR., SALISBURY, MD., 
will bring you free of charge his 82-page Illustrated 
wood engravings, and honest descriptions of over 60 
varieties (largest and be«t Strawberry Catalogue pub¬ 
lished), aiflo sample eepy otThe Strawberry Oulturist, 
cruft Nflwf H you grow etrawberrle*, yon 
OtllLP nUfT 5 ean’fc Afford to be without It. 
TRIUMPH 
nlr Yellow Freestone P 
Ripening with Ameden. 
The Latest and Largest 
Yellow Freestone PEACH, 
EMPEROR 
MERCER 
Yhe only Bve-Beariag. 
Non-Rotting CHBKRT. 
T 01 fall description* send for Catalogue We will lend ear TooutifuUy lUus. Outmlfsm wtth 
the Col’d Plates of the 3 Wonderful New Fruits, and 1 Emperor Peach Jane Bad by 
mail, postpaid,for 10c. J0S.H. BLACK,SOM A CO., Village S arteries, HigkUtewm,lf. J* 
250,000 Peach Trees 
100,000 Plum, best European and Japan. 
150,000 Pear, Standard and Dwarf. 
75,000 Cherry, Morellos, Hearts, etc. 
150,000 Apple, Quince, Apricot. 
100,000 Nut Bearing Trees, 
2,000,000 Small Fruits and Grapes. 
750,000 Boses, Everblooming and Hardy. 
I 1,000 Car Loads Ornamentals. 
Full supply Flower and Vegetable Seeds, Plants, 
■ Bulbs, etc. Elegant ltJS page catalogue free. Send for 
it before buying. Everything mail size postpaid. Larger by ex¬ 
press or freight. Safe arrival and satisfaction guaranteed. We 
oceupv 1W miles on the bank of Lake Erie. No hardier, healthier 
treesare grown on the continent. Why not procure the best 
direct from the grower and avoid all commissions. It 
will save you money. 
42nd YEAR, 1000 ACRES. 29 GREENHOUSES. 
THE STORRS & HARRISON CO., Painesville, 0. Box 216 
